Two years after the construction was approved by the town, the tennis courts at Robinson Elementary School are being torn up and rebuilt on a larger scale. This is not only an improvement for the WA Tennis Teams and the WA Physical Education classes, but an upgrade for the Westford Community. Like the previous courts, they will be available for public use once built. This process started in early September, and is expected to finish in early November.

According to the WA tennis teams, this project is overdue. There were many large cracks in the court which could have resulted in unpredictable and dangerous bounces from the tennis balls if hit onto them. By revamping the courts, the process is eliminating the chance of that, while also improving the aesthetic look of them.

“The quality of those old courts were getting quite poor which is why our team had to play our home games at Stony Brook last season,” senior captain Saunak Manna said. “Getting new courts as well is great for young kids starting to get into the sport.”

The team feels like it’s a new chapter for them, now being able to play not only on their home turf, but also having a new facility increases the energy and excitement for the season this spring. The rebuild will allow practices and games to return to Robinson, where it usually is.

“A great thing about the new courts is that we can just walk to practice [from WA] instead of having to commute to practice at Stony every day that we didn’t have a game,” Manna said. “It’s a great place to practice and have our games on excellent courts and hopefully draw more attendance for spectators in home games than we did last year.”

The plan is to build the new courts farther away from the road for safety reasons, and to limit the number of tennis balls that go over the chain fence and onto the road.

WA Boys’ Tennis Coach and P.E. teacher Patrick Claycomb is excited for these changes, as they not only benefit the school for both P.E. and tennis purposes, but are also for the community. In P.E., some of the activities that are played include both tennis and pickleball. Now, there are designated spaces to play both sports despite WA not having a pickleball team.

“It’s going to give [the community] a great space to go and play [tennis and pickleball],” Claycomb said.

In addition to the tennis courts, also being built are a few pickleball courts to adapt to the sport rising in popularity, and a designated parking space for the courts so people using the courts do not interfere with school parking. Also, Robinson school principal Kevin LaCoste confirmed that the “Peaceable Playground”, which has been a part of Robinson for years, will also be getting changes.

“In addition to the expansion and new tennis courts, the current playground at Robinson is slated to be demolished in late October,” LaCoste said. “A new preschool and ages 6-12 playground will be built. It is the hope that construction can begin in November, weather permitting.”

The “Peaceable Playground” has been a memory maker for kids in grades K-2 at the Robinson school, and other young kids in the community. Once the new playground is finished, it will serve the same purpose of allowing kids to make new friends and having fun, but with newer equipment and new kids to make their memories.