CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The West Oso Tennis Team just wrapped up their fall season with some success. They reached the bi-district playoffs as a team. They are finding success all without a home tennis court.
Their tennis courts, located at the junior high school, are in disrepair.
"We have these cracks that if you would step on it, you’d probably like tweak your ankle. Or if a ball would hit it who knows where it would go,” senior tennis player Aracely Salinas said.
Cracks are visible all throughout the four courts. The edge of the courts are now slanting downward.
“My doubles partner, she got hurt last school year while she was playing…she had like a swollen ankle and couldn’t play, I think for like a week,” Salinas said.
The nets are slanted, most the lights don't work, there are no windscreens around the cage and weeds are growing through the cracks, which tennis Coach Jaime Barrera will come out and cut before practices.
If it rains, they usually don't play on the court. However, rain will pool and they have to sweep water off the court.
"It's frustrating," senior tennis player Jesus Anzures said.
Many matches are played away at other schools.
Only one of the four courts is in decent shape to play on. Because of this, the team of 12 student-athletes hasn't actually practiced all together this fall season.
Despite all of this, the West Oso Tennis Team is having more success than the program ever had. The boys team were district champions last year, Anzures and his teammate won the first district title for boys doubles and Salinas won the district three years in a row.
"The ones that come out here, fall in love with the sport," Barrera said. "That's a good thing I like about our kids at West Oso. They saw how it was a team effort and how everyone together performing to the best is what got us to accomplish that goal."
Salinas said maybe six people maximum will practice at the one court at West Oso at a time. Fortunately, some of them are able to practice at Al Kruse Tennis Center near Downtown Corpus Christi.
"It's a problem because we don't have that chemistry and we're not able to practice with our partners. It makes it a lot harder," Anzures said.
“Which is kind of like frustrating because my doubles partner doesn’t really have a ride to go to Al Kruse, so it’s kind of difficult,” Salinas said.
West Oso pays a court fee for the tennis team to practice at Al Kruse Tennis Center. They've been going there for the last two years.
“I just want to see kids succeed and to make sure they have the proper equipment, which they do,” Ronald Elizondo, the director of tennis at Al Kruse Tennis Center said.
“He’s the one that started them back when they were 8th graders going into 9th grade," Barrera said. "With his help and with the help that we get here at the school, they’ve done a great job this year,”
"It helps us out because we're able to play without worrying of stepping on a crack or anything like that. He provides the balls for us and everything."
Barrera said the administration is aware of the courts condition. He only added he hopes it's addressed in the near future.
"I think maybe like two years ago, our previous superintendent mentioned we would be getting, maybe some funds for new tennis courts. But as far as I've been here, we haven't seen anything happen and I'm not sure when something will happen," Salinas said.
"My sister's at the middle school. She wants to play tennis, but who wants to play tennis on these courts?" Anzures said.
It may be a while before funds are available for West Oso. KRIS 6 News reported in August that West Oso Independent School District is operating on a deficit budget this school year.
Salinas said because of the courts condition, they have added motivation to play well.
“Hopefully, if we’re successful maybe it will encourage them more to like want to put some more financial aid into our tennis courts," Salinas said. "Because it's kind of hard to want a tennis team here, but also it's hard to get players to come out here if they're like, what are these courts?"
"We've had a lot of success, but it's just been a hassle trying to get them to resurface the courts. They don't really seem to do much about it," Anzures said.
Salinas and Anzures said at the minimum they are hoping for a storage shed. Right now Barrera holds all the equipment in his car.
Student-athletes have already begun preparing for the next tennis season. The singles season begins at the end of the current semester.
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