The unused tennis courts at North Albany Middle School looked like this on July 1, 2024.
It was probably 30 or 40 years ago that I last had occasion to hit a tennis ball on the courts behind North Albany Middle School. Wondering whether the courts still exist, I stopped at the school on a bike ride and found that the courts are still there.
They exist, but obviously not for tennis. While the lines on the concrete surface are still clearly visible, the nets are gone.
School is out for the summer, of course, but I wondered whether students can still use the courts during the school year, or whether the public can use them after hours or on weekends.
To learn more, I emailed Bri Zika, who has been principal of North Albany Middle School since June of last year. Even though it was late on a summer’s day, she replied right away.
“I checked in with our PE team tonight regarding your question,” she wrote, “and learned that the tennis nets (and the poles that held them up) were removed a few years ago due to concerns for student safety. It is not currently in our plans to replace them.”
She added, “When our students play games in PE like tennis, volleyball, pickleball, or badminton, we install temporary nets in the gym.”
There might have been some miscommunication about the posts, which were still in place when I looked at the courts on July 1.
Years ago, when our boys went to school there, we occasionally played a little weekend tennis at North Albany Middle School.
“I’m sorry that the community no longer has access to the courts,” Principal Zika wrote. “I can imagine how disappointing that must be.”
Well, if nobody has complained, any disappointment must have been bearable and brief. And tennis courts open to the public after hours remain available at West and South Albany High schools and at Albany’s Burkhart Park. (hh)
When did tennis nets and poles become deemed as unsafe?
Back in the day when the courts were still functional for tennis, the courts were used for tennis for PE. when the teachers were creative enough to offer other activities at the same time out on the field. Class sizes at middle school were far too large to offer the curriculum in such a way as to actually “teach” tennis without dealing with the numbers. That was true at the high schools as well. I remember the “glory days” before so many cuts in staff, when we were able to send half the class to the pool with an instructor at South Albany High while I would take the other half on the tennis courts. Ah, the good ol’ days!
Safety Concerns? Wait a minute, I need to buckle up my bicycle safety restraint. Cheese Louise!
My wife and I played tennis together on those courts several years ago, but the nets fell into disrepair and we moved our activities to West Albany HS instead. That in turn was hindered when they did the HS expansion and removed the old courts. I haven’t tried to play yet on the new courts on the other side of the stadium, but hopefully they are still available for the general public. Many other local public tennis courts have been replaced by pickle ball courts, but I still prefer tennis.
So..still not clear, can the public still use the courts after hours? I’ll put down temp lines and bring my net for some pickleball!