Unlike most student athletes who head directly toward the gym or soccer field to attend practices or games, the varsity girls and boys tennis players board a bus to go to the Seongnam Public Tennis Court instead. While this may not seem like an obvious problem, having courts off campus not only prevents athletes from effectively using practice time but also makes it difficult for students to support their athletes. Such disadvantages call for the construction of on-campus tennis courts.

According to Amy Ryu (12), varsity girls tennis team co-captain, the current courts are highly inadequate for practices due to their poor quality. Players have complained about the uneven surface of the court because it alters the direction and spin of the ball, making it difficult for players to rally. Moreover, compared to other athletics teams that have facilities on campus, tennis teams start their practices later but end earlier because students have to travel back to school. Accumulated over a week, athletes miss out on a total of two hours, which is the equivalent to missing an entire practice. If there were on-campus courts, athletes would be able to practice more efficiently for the full two hours everyday.

The tennis courts’ off-campus location affects not only the tennis teams but also the SIS community as a whole. Although varsity tennis players have been recognized for their skills in competitions, they do not receive much support from the student body. This disinterest stems from the fact that students have to leave campus to watch a tennis match. Having courts on campus would help shed light on the feats of the tennis teams, and provide students with the opportunity to learn about the sport while raising school spirit.

Despite the tennis team’s athletic accomplishments, tennis courts had never been constructed at SIS due to the lack of space for such facilities. Also, unlike other sports arenas, tennis courts cannot be used during PE classes because the surface of the courts is suitable only for tennis. However, although the construction will consume a significant amount of space and money, the gradual implementation of new facilities should be seriously considered. New on-campus tennis courts might not automatically double the student body’s school spirit or ensure a dramatic improvement in the tennis teams’ records, but it is only fair to provide tennis players with facilities of the same quality as those accessible to other athletes.