Resurfaced courts have literally paid off for Marina tennis program

A bulldozer motored by on the walkway in front of the tennis courts at Marina High School earlier this month.

Marina tennis coach Chuck Kingman did not flinch.

Kingman is all for improvement, and the Vikings’ 16 tennis courts were recently upgraded in a major way.

Kingman said that the Huntington Beach Union High School District paid for their renovation and resurfacing in January. Now the tennis program is reaping the benefits.

He and his program have partnered with United States Tennis Assn. Southern California to host events like youth and adult tennis tournaments, camps and other educational opportunities.

One of the resurfaced tennis courts at Marina High School.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

In those short few months, that has netted more than $10,000 for the Vikings’ tennis program.

“That money pays for everything from signage to balls, equipment, things like that,” Kingman said. “And it provides playing opportunities for my kids. We create tournaments for my kids, they play in it and we earn some money to help our program.”

It’s a partnership that made sense, given that the Vikings have more tennis courts than other neighboring high schools.

And, with the pickleball craze and a similar sport called padel also quickly emerging, that’s more courts than even some other local tennis facilities have. Kingman said he can remember when Los Caballeros in Fountain Valley had 50 tennis courts.

“Right now, they’re down to six,” he said. “All the rest have been converted to pickleball … We’re very fortunate to have 16 courts. That’s usually the response when people come — ‘Oh my God, you have 16 courts.’”

Kingman enjoys pickleball and he believes there’s a place for it, though he said the big question is what kind of staying power it’s going to have.

“Pickleball is the new, exciting thing, the shiny object,” he said. “All of the marketing is about pickleball … [but] the numbers for tennis have never been stronger.”

Trevor Kronemann, a longtime Orange County tennis staple who is now the executive director of USTA Southern California, is well aware of this fact.

Marina High School recently renovated and resurfaced its tennis courts.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

He said his organization is trying to get courts wherever it can find them — high schools, elementary schools, homeowner’s associations.

The USTA has a goal of 35 million tennis players nationally by 2035. In Southern California, he said there are currently about 2.5 million players, and the goal is to increase that by a million in that next decade.

“Our goal is to hit 40 resurfaced courts this year,” Kronemann said. “They cost about $7,500 each, so it’s a $300,000 grant. Now we just have to find those locations that are willing to partner with us, maybe make some revenue, have a revenue split. We’re not asking for them to run the site or even bring anything else, just allow us to resurface your courts and do programming on them. I think it’s kind of a win-win.”

Kronemann again emphasized that pickleball is not the enemy. He foresees weekend tournaments where each sport can be highlighted.

Chuck Kingman, Marina High tennis coach, at the school’s courts.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“Friday night it’s pickleball and Jimmy Buffett,” he said. “Saturday night, it’s tennis and it’s the Rolling Stones. Sunday, it’s padel with Jason Mraz. I don’t know what it really looks like, but I do know that people want to be social. I think tennis needs to react to that and it needs to be more than a ‘go play your match and leave’ situation.”

Kingman’s Marina program is certainly reaping the benefits of its new courts. He said a long-term goal is actually to add eight more courts, bringing the total to 24 courts, which could secure bigger USTA tournaments and generate massive revenue that could fund the entire athletic program.

Kingman said he did research and got bids for the district for the resurfacing job. Trueline Construction & Surfacing, based in Riverside, did the courts.

“Most high schools have a lot of court availability and don’t really utilize it,” Kingman said. “I’m a tennis coach, not a teacher, but so many of the programs have people who are teachers and are really busy and don’t have the time. Or, they don’t have the information available to help with their facilities. So the USTA is reaching out to high schools to say, ‘We need courts for programming. We’re willing to help you refurbish your courts and help your facility.’”