CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — As Austin Peay State University officials discuss the possibility of changing the campus' indoor tennis into a multi-use facility, local groups hope a petition can save the tennis courts.
APSU administrators confirmed they've had discussions about remodeling the Governors Indoor Tennis Center and turning it into a multi-use facility. Those officials say, however, that no decisions have been made and no changes are imminent.
"Of course, we were shocked," Preston Howle said about his reaction when he first heard about the talks. Howle is the president of the Clarksville Tennis Association and said the coplex has been a great resource to people throughout the area.
"It's used quite a bit, it really is," Howle said.
APSU built the complex, which as four tennis courts, in the 1980's. The next-closest indoor courts are located about an hour away in Nashville, so Howle worries if the complex closes, athletes and their families will be left out in the cold.
"During the winter time they don't have anywhere to do this," Howle said.
Supporters of the Governors Indoor Tennis Center also worried what a closure would mean for the APSU tennis programs, including a womens team that, on Wednesday night, was undefeated at 9-0.
"Recruiting would be down, practice would be down, they would have to go to Nashville to play their matches," Howle said. "This would be a severe blow to the Austin Peay tennis program."
APSU officials released a statement on Wednesday regarding the tennis complex. It read, in part:
"With Austin Peay’s limited space in both acreage and facilities, it’s a struggle to provide proper training space for our more than 350 student-athletes, in all weather and seasons, and the University lacks a multipurpose indoor training facility. This is an area of great concern and an area where we’ve lagged behind our competition in the OVC. Over the last several years, we’ve engaged in exploratory discussions regarding the conversion of the tennis center into a multi-use facility to aid training for all sports, not just tennis. Nothing is imminent; these discussions were in the interest of understanding all of our options. We would never pursue a course of action that is detrimental to any group of student-athletes. However, it would be a disservice to the rest of our student-athletes if we didn’t explore all avenues for improvement from a facilities standpoint."
You can find a link to the Clarksville Tennis Association's petition at www.savethetenniscenter.com/
