These renovated tennis courts at Edward Waters University will be home to a new women's tennis program. | Steven Ponson, WJCT News 98.9
Published on August 3, 2023 at 5:20 pm
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Four renovated orange and purple tennis courts at Edward Waters University will be home to a new women’s tennis program at Florida’s first HBCU.
These new courts mark more than just paint and concrete; they are a chance for students to get engaged with the university’s community, says Ivana Rich, associate vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics.
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“This is just another opportunity or another avenue for students to become active in the community to learn about a sport of tennis that is usually not inherent to the African American community, and so I think it’s really going to impact our student-athletes just as much as our student body.” Rich says.
The courts will be open for students to use during certain hours, and there will be tennis lessons available with the new women’s tennis coach.
The university announced May 23 that it was creating a new women’s tennis team, the 17th varsity sport at the school and the ninth women’s sport.
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The new program will begin to play in spring 2024 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, or SIAC.
New head coach Marc Atkinson says the new program will help to drive enrollment at the school.
“Athletics brings students,” Atkinson says. “:You know, you look at any school and you hear about a university, what’s the first thing most people say? Do they have sports teams? How’s the football team? How’s the basketball team? Now tennis is gonna be a part of that conversation. Like how good is your tennis team that you can bring more students and create more opportunities for young Black tennis players around the state of Florida?”
According to the school’s website, more than 1,185 undergraduate students are enrolled at the university. According to the school’s Eminence 2025 Strategic Plan, the university’s goal was to increase its total enrollment from 880 to 1,069 by 2025.
