Aug. 16—OTTUMWA — Aside from a few actual raindrops that fell midway through the week, there wasn’t much that rained on the parade of the fifth-annual Dan Staggs Tennis Tournament earlier this month.
The tournament, named after Ottumwa High School’s longtime hall-of-fame head tennis coach and instructor, grew this year with 30 players taking part including 18 players in the men’s division. It’s a trend that tournament organizer and former OHS tennis coach Mark Hanson is hopeful to see continuing in the years to come.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if we had over 30 players in the singles draw at some point, maybe as soon as next year,” Hanson said. “That would be really exciting. We’re at the point now where we’ve got enough really good players to where it’s always going to be a great tournament.”
Even as the tournament and the sport of tennis seem to be growing in popularity in the City of Bridges, however, there are questions that linger as to where the sport will be able to grow within the city. While tournament matches were taking place on the three available courts at the Ottumwa Golf and Social Club, the possible construction of a dozen tennis courts in “the pit” behind Ottumwa High School hit a roadblock as city officials announced that construction would interfere with the sewer separation project that will continue in that area next year, tearing up both streets and ground.
In response, the Ottumwa Community School District proposed a revised eight-court project along Center Avenue that would not conflict with the ongoing sewer-separation project earlier this week. The Ottumwa City Council approved that project to move forward.
“I’m very thankful that Mike McGrory is our superintendent right now, because he is absolutely committed to getting these courts built,” Hanson said. “One way or another, it’s going to happen. It may not be in time for the (2024) high school tennis season, but my hope is that we might be able to play the sixth-annual Dan Staggs Tournament on the new courts.
“It would be tremendous to kick it off with so many former and current Ottumwa players taking part. I think that would really excite people to come out and play tennis.”
Ottumwa graduates Trey and Quintin Hull can both attest to how important it would be to get new tennis courts built. Besides searching for places to hold lessons with younger players around the city on the current available courts, both brothers have seen the impact having new courts can have on the sport having played in Pella this past year as freshmen at Central College.
“We’ve had 30 kids that have come out for lessons and the courts we have to teach on at Bridge View are cracked. Half of them are unplayable,” Trey Hull said. “In Pella, they have 12 new courts with really good lights that the public can use. Having new courts really builds tennis. I can go out anytime in Pella and play on a court with anyone who is there.
“It’s really cool to see so many people come out for this. For years, you really had to search for someone else to play with. If they get new courts built, it will really grow the sport in Ottumwa.”
— Scott Jackson can be reached at sjackson@ottumwacourier.com. Follow him on Twitter@CourierScott.
