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Top of the List: RSI/ASBA Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards

By Peter Francesconi

When it comes to excellence in court construction, it’s hard to find better examples than those entered in the RSI/American Sports Builders Association Facility-of-the-Year Awards contest.

Each year, based on entries submitted by an ASBA member — whether a contractor, designer or supplier — the association selects outstanding tennis facilities that meet the standard of excellence determined by the judging committee. For 2007, the panel of judges deemed 18 courts or tennis facilities as outstanding, or “distinguished,” as the award reads.

Four of those entries, however, were chosen for special “Facility-of-the-Year” honors: the Cloister Tennis Center at Sea Island in St. Simons Island, Ga., received the Outdoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year Award; Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education in Philadelphia received the Indoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year Award; the court at a private residence in Parkland, Fla., received the Residential Tennis Facility-of-the-Year Award; and the University of North Dakota Wellness Center (above) in Grand Forks, N.D., received the Indoor Multi-Purpose Facility-of-the-Year Award.

The eight-court Cloister Tennis Center consists of all new hydrocourts and includes an exhibition/stadium court. Seven courts were built atop a parking deck, 15 feet above ground level, which required ramps and cranes to bring materials and equipment to the jobsite. The stadium court, built below grade, has terraced areas for spectators. The custom fencing was designed for player safety and long-term use in the harsh coastal climate.

The Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education facility not only won RSI’s 2007 Municipal Facility of the Year Award, but the specialty contractor, Sportsline of Exton, Pa., also won RSI’s 2007 Builder of the Year Award. The new facility’s eight indoor cushioned courts have won the ASBA’s Indoor Facility-of-the-Year Award, but the eight outdoor courts also are being honored this year with a Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Award. AAYTE itself has been widely acclaimed by the PTR, ITF and USTA for its blend of tennis, education, mentoring and more.

The private court at Parkland, Fla., is a new asphalt court with lighting for night play. The customer wanted a surface to accommodate other sports their kids are involved in besides tennis, including hockey and basketball. Amenities include player seating, a shaded area near the courts, and windscreens.

The University of North Dakota Wellness Center also is new construction. The multi-activity court that was installed of prefabricated rubber can be used for tennis and many other sports.

Distinguishing Honors

In addition to The Cloister Tennis Center at Sea Island, the indoor tennis facility at Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education Center, the private residence in Parkland, Fla., and the University of North Dakota Wellness Center, these 14 locations were chosen by the 2007 panel of judges for the ASBA as excellent examples of court construction, receiving Distinguished Tennis Facility-of-the-Year Awards. You’ll read more about them in upcoming issues of Racquet Sports Industry. (The nominating company is in parentheses.)

• Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education, Indoor Facility, Philadelphia (Sportsline Inc.)
• Balin Residence, Thorton, Pa. (Sportsline Inc.)
• Finley Residence, Paradise Valley, Ariz. (General Acrylics Inc.)
• Goddard Eisenhower Tennis Complex, Goddard, Kan. (Mid-American Courtworks)
• L’Hermitage Tennis Facility, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Fast-Dry Courts)
• Maize Middle School Tennis Complex, Maize, Kan. (Mid-American Courtworks)
• Mesa Community College, Mesa, Ariz. (General Acrylics Inc.)
• Oconomowoc High School, Oconomowoc, Wis. (Munson Inc.)
• Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (Fast-Dry Courts)
• Private Residence, Boca Raton, Fla. (Fast-Dry Courts)
• Rockefeller University Outdoor Tennis Facility, New York, N.Y. (Classic Turf Co. LLC)
• Trump Palace Tennis Facility, Sunny Isles, Fla. (Fast-Dry Courts)
• Virante Tennis Facility, Punta Gorda, Fla. (Ritzman Tennis Courts LLC)
• Windstar on Naples Bay, Naples, Fla. (Fast-Dry Courts)

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Outdoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year Award

Cloister Tennis Center at Sea Island
St. Simons Island, Ga.
Architect/Engineer: Peter Capone and Associates
General Contractor: TDX Construction Inc.
Specialty Contractor: McLean Tennis Inc.
Surface: Lee Tennis (Har-Tru)
Lighting: LSI Courtsider
Trench Drain: Zurn Industries
Nets, Straps: Edwards/Collegiate Pacific

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Residential Tennis Facility-of-the-Year Award

Private Residence
Parkland, Fla.
General Contractor: Fast-Dry Courts
Surface: Nova Sports
Lights: RLS
Windscreens: M. Putterman
Net Posts: J.A. Cissel

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Indoor Multi-Purpose Facility-of-the-Year Award

University of North Dakota Wellness Center
Grand Forks, N.D.
General Contractor: Gaukol Builders/Paul Jensen
Specialty Contractor: Kiefer Specialty Flooring Inc.
Surface: Mondo USA

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Indoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year Award

Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education
Philadelphia
Specialty Contractor: Sportsline Inc./Rob Werner
Surface: California Products (DecoTurf)
Lighting: LSI
Curtains: M. Putterman
Nets, Straps: J.A. Cissel
Net Posts: Collegiate Pacific
Rubber Flooring: Dodge-Regupol

For details on the 2008 Distinguished Facility-of-the-Year Awards, contact the ASBA at 866-501-ASBA or info@sportsbuilders.org.

See all articles by Peter Francesconi

About the Author

Peter Francesconi is editorial director of Tennis Industry magazine.

From the January 2008 issue
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