Newton’s head girls tennis coach says getting kids to play the game earlier is a big key to elevating the program, and the new tennis courts under construction at Aurora Park should help generate interest in the sport. Coach Erick Zehr says most players need coaching several years prior to high school to be really competitive when they are playing high school matches around central Iowa. 

“We have to be able to build kids from 5th and 6th graders instead of 9th graders. In terms of competing at the highest level within their high school experience, we are years behind schools that have more access to resources.”

The tennis court rehabilitation project at Aurora Park, which is where the Newton girls and boys tennis teams practice and play their home meets, also includes the addition of two tennis courts, raising the total to eight. Improvements are also being made for spectator viewing at each individual court. The ongoing project prevented the Newton girls tennis team from having any home meets this season. The team finished the year 2-9 after an 11-0 win at Des Moines East on Monday.