Tennis Indoors
January 26, 2006 01:55 PM | General
January 26, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – When a group of Morgantown investors led by Mike Tompkins approached WVU women’s tennis coach Dan Silverstein about playing home matches in their brand new $5 million facility on Baker’s Ridge Road, Silverstein was all ears.
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| Sophomore Monica Lyskawa returns a serve during West Virginia's 7-0 victory over Wright State in the brand new RidgeView Racquet Club & Fitness Center on Baker's Ridge Road.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
In the five years he’s been at West Virginia, Silverstein says he’s never played a home match in Morgantown in either February or March until last Sunday, when West Virginia defeated Wright State, 7-0, in the brand new RidgeView Racquet Club & Fitness Center.
“We used to have to drive an hour and 15 minutes to Pittsburgh with no fans watching,” Silverstein said. “(The Wright State match) was really fun for the kids.”
At one point Silverstein thought his Mountaineer program was going to get a big boost when the city of Morgantown was considering constructing an indoor facility across the street from the WVU Coliseum in Krepps Park. But that project was eventually tabled.
“When I first got here that was in the plans but it kind of fell through,” Silverstein said. “Last April, (Mike) called me up and said they were ready to begin construction.”
Silverstein is already using the four-court indoor facility as big selling point to potential recruits.
“We’re holding our media guide off until everything is complete,” he said. “The clubhouse and fitness center will be done in March and we want to have a full page describing the facility to potential recruits.”
Ridgeview Racquet Club, according to Silverstein, is one of the finest of its kind in the state. Its web site bills it as the only private tennis club in the local region with indoor and outdoor customized championship courts.
There are four Deco Turf System cushioned indoor courts – the same surface used at the U.S. Open and the Tennis Masters in Cincinnati, Ohio -- with competitive-level indirect lighting in an air-conditioned environment for year-round play. In addition, the facility will have fully private men’s and women’s locker and shower facilities with a player’s lounge and full-service pro shop.
“As soon as I heard four courts with locker rooms, a clubhouse, fitness center and pro shop … I knew this was going to help us get to where we need to be,” said Silverstein. “It’s high level; the courts are perfect.”
In the past, the women’s program used the West View Tennis Facility in Westover for practice. And while it was an outstanding facility, having just three courts prohibited the Mountaineers from scheduling indoor home matches.
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| West Virginia players work out in the brand new RidgeView Racquet Club & Fitness Center on Baker's Ridge Road.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
“It was a good facility and we appreciated using it, but it only had three courts and we couldn’t schedule home matches,” Silverstein said. “Teams wouldn’t come here and play a full dual match with only three courts.”
In addition to playing indoor matches at Ridgeview, the women’s program has also reserved court time each day from 2-5 pm for practice. And because it now has access to a first-rate indoor facility, Silverstein says he already has commitments from Ohio State, Marshall and Temple to play in Morgantown next year. He hopes to have a 12-match home schedule for 2007.
“We only have four home matches this year and when I saw the facility under construction, I realized that it was going to happen,” he said. “It makes it a lot easier bringing teams in now instead of having to schedule matches in Pittsburgh.”
West Virginia’s next home match is Sunday, Feb. 5, against Cincinnati. Silverstein says the facility can comfortably accommodate 100 spectators.
“We had about 65 for our first match against Wright State and you could tell the difference in our girls,” he said. “They had a chance to practice for a few weeks on court and they really like it.”
Silverstein believes Ridgeview Racquet Club will also help develop the junior tennis program in the region. Right now Charleston and Huntington have the two best junior programs in the state.
“This is something Morgantown needed and I think it’s going to help junior tennis grow in the area,” he said. “With the population continuing to increase in Morgantown, I think this facility will be able to accommodate those wanting to play tennis year-round.”
Silverstein, who will teach at the facility and help with the summer youth program, says the club has already been accepting memberships.
“We’ve heard nothing but good things,” he said. “I think when the locker rooms and clubhouse are completed it will really take off. People will be able to drop their kids off and they can play tennis while their kids are in the game room or the TV room where there are all kinds of video games.
“It’s a high-end club and it will be one of the finest of its kind in West Virginia when it’s completed,” he added.
RidgeView Racquet Club is located on Baker’s Ridge Road right off of Route 119 not far from where the new University High School is currently under construction. For more information, log onto www.ridgeviewracquetclub.com.
