BY  MELANIE ULLE

Just south of South High School’s sports fields is what looks like a big metal fieldhouse. Inside and beside that fieldhouse are a bunch of tennis courts. On those tennis courts are students from all over the metro area. This is Denver Tennis Park, a 13-court treasure serving the good citizens of metropolitan Denver and beyond. I would be remiss in limiting this description solely to what’s happening onsite. The Denver Tennis Park is much more than a place. It’s a large, prolific tennis organization currently serving over 3,000 kids with 65% representing underserved communities.

Celebrating five years of serving Colorado students, the Denver Tennis Park is delivering on a promise to bring this wonderful sport to all who wish to play. A sport which has often been considered exclusive or elitist, tennis is neither at Denver Tennis Park. Rather, tennis is an accessible tool for youth development and holistic self-improvement.

I grew up playing tennis and it captured my heart from my very first tennis lesson one hot afternoon during the summer before I started third grade. The rubbery smell of fresh tennis balls, and lime “Zeemies” (it was like a generic Slurpee) at Gates Tennis Center became the combined aromata of my childhood. After school in the spring, I would take the 24 RTD bus to Cherry Creek, walk east to Gates and play my face off until my mom picked me up after her workday ended. In the summer, I was more likely to ditch the bus and strap my racquet awkwardly to my back, hop on my Trek and zip up Exposition, turning left on the path by Stephen Knight then over the dribbling Cherry Creek via that sketchy wooden bridge and spend the mornings back at Gates sweating my tennis whites off until early afternoon. I was fortunate to have access to an affordable public tennis facility and recognized that not all kids in Colorado were so lucky. 

One of the things that made tennis such a joy for me was that as a weak and twiggy bag of bones, I could still play well, regardless of my size or lack of brawn. It truly is a sport for nearly everyone. It’s a non-impact sport, suited to folks of all ages and skill levels, and it’s not dependent on youth or strength.

Tennis made me more disciplined, kept me (mostly) out of trouble and allowed my parents some peace of mind knowing I was safely occupied and under the watchful eye of great coaches. The more I played, the better I was at everything else in my life. 

The USTA backs up my personal belief in tennis as a saving grace citing that, “tennis requires alertness and tactical thinking, which may generate new connections between nerves in the brain, promoting a lifetime of continued brain development. 48% of youth tennis players have an “A” average and spend more time studying.”

Denver Tennis Park is making sure this sport is for everyone all the time, not just those limited few who can afford membership in a private tennis club. I can say from experience that indoor courts are considered a real luxury. I never enjoyed that amenity, which limited when and how I could play tennis. This limitation impedes a young player’s ability to compete against wealthier competitors who enjoy tennis year-round. Making year-round tennis accessible to all is nearly unheard of in the sport and it really is one of the things that makes Denver Tennis Park so exceptional. 

A result of a thoughtful public-private partnership between DU and DPS and with the generous support of private philanthropists, the program has a profound commitment to supporting the partners’ interests in youth development and tennis. Home to the DU men’s and women’s NCAA Division I tennis, it also hosts various DPS high school team practices and matches.

The program reaches kids where they live with tennis sessions throughout the city and not only at the Denver Tennis Park. Partnerships abound beyond the founding organizations with collaborations expanding and strengthening with United States Tennis Association of Colorado, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, Colorado Lions Youth Organization, Struggle of Love Foundation, and others throughout the metropolitan area.

This will be the first year that Denver Tennis Park launches an individual fund development program in earnest with the launch of their first ever major fundraising event on October 14th featuring none other than the legendary John McEnroe. Details about this exciting event are available on their website at www.denvertennispark.org.

Learn more about the important work of Denver Tennis Park and maybe pick up a racquet. Both your body and your brain will thank you.