Community News

Prep tennis, softball teams could benefit from sportsplex at Berkeley Park

By Mary Shelton, Published: December 4, 2024

The women’s tennis team at Hendersonville High School won five consecutive 2A dual-team state championships — and did it without ever having a true home match.

Both Hendersonville and East Henderson High use the tennis courts at Jackson Park during the women’s fall and men’s spring tennis seasons, and while the dynamic isn’t necessarily difficult to manage, it’s far from ideal.

“People still consider this just a park,” said Michael Jones, the women’s tennis coach at HHS. “Having our own spot might actually give people a chance to know where we are and where we play.”

The Henderson County Board of Commissioners on Monday authorized a $10 million contract to build a sports complex at Berkeley Mills Park starting with four regulation soccer fields. Although the contact does not include construction of tennis courts or a softball diamond that prep teams also could use, it does cover grading for both. Adding tennis courts and the softball field would cost another $1 million, and commissioners have 60 days to decide whether to add those to the project based on a bid agreement.

Two county high schools, West Henderson and North Henderson, have their own courts on campus. The Hendersonville team is hopeful that match attendance would increase if the Bearcats got home tennis courts at Berkeley Mills Park. However, the attendance won’t be the only thing that will likely improve with the move.

“Being able to go over (to the courts) at any time without having to worry about what other events might be going on, or just having storage and being able to lock equipment up, would just make things so much better,” Jones said.

Despite the success and respect this team has earned over the past few years, HHS has no place to display championship banners outside of match days.

“I hope to see the same tennis being played and the same team coming through,” Raleigh Prichard, who plays No. 1 on the team.

Although Prichard graduates this school year, she is excited to think of netters down the line playing on a true home court.

The Bearcats’ 2024 season ranked third in the state, and while that wasn’t the No. 1 finish the players are accustomed to Coach Jones and his team were proud of their performance throughout the fall.

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Mary Shelton, a senior at Hendersonville High School, is a reporting intern for the Hendersonville Lightning in the 2024-25 school year. Disclosure: Mary is also co-captain of the Lady Bearcat varsity softball team, which would gain the benefit (after her graduation) of a home diamond.