STURGIS – The United States Tennis Association announced Monday that it has awarded a $34,000 grant to Sturgis Public Schools.
The grant funds will help offset the cost of resurfacing the Augspurger Tennis Courts, a 12-court facility located in Sturgis and owned by the school district. In addition to serving as the home courts for the Sturgis High School tennis teams, the courts serve as a community hub of tennis programming and also host regional events. The project will be completed this summer.
The grant is part of the U.S. Open Legacy Initiative, created in celebration of Coco Gauff’s 2023 U.S. Open women’s singles title. As part of the initiative, the USTA has pledged $3 million to refurbish tennis courts across the country.
“Tennis has been enjoyed by both youth and adults in Sturgis for generations,” said Art Ebert, superintendent of Sturgis Public Schools. “The support of the US Open Legacy Initiative alongside support from the Sturgis Area Community Foundation’s Augspurger Fund, will keep that tradition going by fully funding the $76,700 resurfacing project at the Augspurger Tennis Courts.”
The 12 courts, in addition to the six new courts being built at Sturgis Middle School and the four courts at the Doyle Community Center, will give Sturgis 22 public tennis courts. In combination, the 22 courts will expand tennis programming opportunities throughout the community.
“We anticipate being able to offer more tennis lessons, drills, and tournaments; which will expand tennis participation locally and bring people from the surrounding region to Sturgis,” Ebert said.
Lew Sherr, CEO of USTA, said in a statement that investing in the improvement of tennis facilities, particularly public tennis facilities “is a critical piece of the USTA’s mission: Growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere.”
“Investing in public parks and our youth is very important,” Gauff said. “I strongly believe that tennis can continue to become a more accessible sport, and I would like to thank the USTA for continuing to commit to do so.”
The US Open Legacy Initiative is part of the USTA’s overall efforts to support tennis infrastructure through facility enhancements and construction, led by the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services department. Since 2005, the USTA has awarded more than $17 million in TVS grants, impacting more than 43,000 tennis courts and more than $610 million of infrastructure development.
