Gorham’s largest publicly available tennis courts have fallen into disrepair and are deemed too dangerous for use during competitive play.
The four courts, located behind the stadium at Gorham High School, were first built in 1995. The courts sit nestled amongst the trees, whose roots expand and shift with Maine’s variable weather conditions. This has eroded the substructure on which the tennis courts sit and has forced the high school and USM tennis teams to scrap their use for any home meets.
Nearly 30 years old, the courts are due to be replaced. According to Kevin Cornish, co-owner of Maine Tennis and Track in Windham, the average expectancy of courts is about 20-25 years.
Over the years, the school department has hired firms like Maine Tennis and Track to attend to the cracks created by the naturally shifting substructure, at a cost of roughly $40 thousand dollars each time. The last time the courts were patched was 2018.
In 2019, a proposed renovation including the courts was scrapped due to concerns over costs and increasing taxes. In spring 2022, a project that included new courts was proposed by the school department but rejected by the town council. The school department had earmarked funds to patch the courts in their capital improvements line of the 2023 budget, but when the budget wasn’t approved until late August, contracting with a firm was paused. Once the budget was approved, there were no firms in New England with availability to do any repair work before winter.
Gorham boasts a vibrant youth tennis program, both for Gorham Parks and Recreation, and the middle and high schools. While Parks and Rec attracts as many as 50 children during their summer tennis camps, the middle school tennis program typically attracts 30-40 kids annually. The high school has one of the largest programs in the Southern Maine Activities Association, with 40-60 students participating in the spring athletic season.
The high school athletes will use the courts this season for practice, and Parks and Rec will use temporary patching to safely offer their summer tennis camps, but Gorham Athletic Director Tim Spear has moved all matches to opponents’ courts and USM’s indoor courts. The USM tennis teams have also abandoned use of the courts.
According to Spear, the tennis courts, along with the track, which is also in dire need of repairs, are by far the most publicly used school facility spaces, especially during the summer. The school department has even installed lights on the courts, maintaining and paying to power them, because of their heavy use at night by community members. Because of their location on the school grounds, access is more limited during the school day, due to school safety protocols that limit visitors to campus when school is in session.
The school department will be asking this fall for community support of a bond package that will include the needed construction of six new courts at the Multipurpose Fields at the middle school, along with other projects, as part of their 10-year comprehensive facilities plan. The United States Tennis Association recommends that a community of Gorham’s size have at least 12 courts dedicated to the sport. These will be the only courts in Gorham that are dedicated to tennis and not other racquet sports, such as the wildly popular game of Pickleball, for which there are multiple courts in Gorham.
The courts were included in the original site plan for the middle school. The location will ensure access for the general public during school hours. Six courts are needed for hosting tournaments, and for all five matches during varsity and collegiate competition to be played at the same time.
The oversized multipurpose field would still be accessible to school, parks and recreation, and club sports programs.
The School Committee will be presenting their proposed bond referendum to the Town Council, who will then be weighing in on the plan in the coming months.