North’s tennis courts have been struggling for quite some time, and over the course of 25 years they have been held together with small patchwork repairs. Unfortunately, bigger issues lie within the foundation, and larger scale action is necessary. In addition to the state of the courts, coaching in this three tiered facility is difficult and its location is relatively inconvenient. Because of these ongoing issues, the courts are set to be completely rebuilt in a different area.
Ten new tennis courts will be built over the current soccer game field, and they will be laid out in two rows of five with a central walkway. To better withstand Indiana weather, the new courts will have a durable post-tension concrete base. The flat surface of the current soccer field and the strength of the new foundation will provide longevity and allow for more effective coaching. Even though the construction process will be difficult for teams, the outcome will be worth it.
On Wednesday, April 30th, the first construction workers arrived and began to disassemble the nets and fences of the tennis courts. They have begun to work on the soccer field as well, and hope to be done with the courts in November or December of this year, being entirely completed for the girl’s tennis team’s spring season in 2026. This means that both girls and boys 2025 seasons will be heavily impacted by the construction.
Because the new tennis courts will be where the soccer game field lies, the field will be reconstructed across from the football field where the practice fields are. The resulting field will be full length, at 120 yards, instead of the 100 yards we currently play on. It will be turf, and its location will provide better parking for games. This project hasn’t been fully designed yet, so details such as dates and drawings aren’t confirmed yet. Students and teams can expect it to take place sometime between April and August of 2026, but this timeline is subject to change.
Bloomington South will experience the same renovations as us, except they will begin with soccer field construction. Once their field and our courts are done, we will switch projects. North’s athletic director, Andy Hodson, says, “We will accommodate BHSS’s tennis team at our facility during their construction, just as they will help us during ours.”
During this lengthy construction process, our teams will be relocated to different courts and fields. The girls and boys tennis teams will utilize South and Edgewood’s tennis courts and the soccer field will practice and hold home games on the football and baseball fields for the time being.
Though the changes will be inconvenient for teams now, the future courts and fields will benefit both current and future athletes. The new courts will provide better playing conditions, coaching set ups, parking opportunities, and more. Our teams will have to adjust to new challenges and routines as construction progresses, but North should be excited for this update.
