In 2021, the post “A Scary Tennis Story for Halloween” highlighted the alarming decline in tennis participation in Wichita Falls, Texas. I attributed that to limited access to public tennis courts and the locking of tennis courts at school facilities. Today is the perfect opportunity to revisit that story for an encouraging update.
Back in 2020, when the Trophy Husband and I started spending a lot of time in my childhood hometown to help care for a family member that needed a little assistance, we quickly realized that to play any tennis at all required membership at the local country club. The public tennis centers were under absentee management of a company from the DFW area which was not providing much organized programming or even keeping the doors open during hours that are reasonable and customary in the industry.
Fortunately, the country club had a small but active community of players that was also a lot of fun. We had found our people. The photo below that ran in the original post captures the spirit and essence of that community as it was at the time.
Unfortunately, darker days were ahead for this cohort of players as well. “Racquet Sports at War” described a saga where a battle between pickleball and tennis led to a cataclysmic departure of the majority of the tennis players at the club. However, that post also ended with hope and optimism that the schism would reinvigorate tennis in the city.
It’s exactly what happened. The city of Wichita Falls eagerly snapped up the departing head pro and staff members as the tennis players moved en masse to the public tennis center. The net effect has been revitalization of tennis in the community and a sharp increase in numbers. The narrative that tennis was dying in the city has ended.
A couple of weeks ago, Falls Town Courts hosted the second annual installment of the City Slam Tournament. The turnout stretched the limits of existing court capacity in the city. One of the highlights was the unveiling of a plan to cover some of the existing courts and add an additional court at Hamilton Park Tennis Center.
Food was provided by a taco truck and the player party featured barbecue smoked onsite by a local community booster organization. It was an amazing reflection and celebration of how the tennis in the city has exploded in the past two years.
The remarkable turnaround of tennis in Wichita Falls is a testament to the power of investing in the sport and placing the right resources in the right places. When a committed community steps up to foster growth and provide access, tennis thrives. The revitalization of the local tennis centers and the success of events like the City Slam Tournament showcase what can happen when passion meets opportunity. It’s a reminder that with the right vision, facilities, and local support, tennis can grow in any community—no matter how bleak the prospects might have once seemed.
