Fort Lee Tennis Update

Residents would like to envision Fort Lee as an upscale community, but there is much work that needs to be done to elevate its status to this stratum. “One step at a time” would be the appropriate phraseology.

Fort Lee High School academics have exceeded all expectations, with our newly graduated seniors attending top universities throughout the country, with a strong representation in the Ivy League. The IB (International Business) program and the AOF (Academy of Finance) program have set some very high standards among New Jersey high schools.

Fort Lee High School sports programs have languished for a long time, but have made great improvements over the past few years with the construction of a new track and field at the high school and a refurbished gym with new scoreboards. Our teams finally have new equipment and new uniforms. The Board of Education has been able to finance the capital improvements through a bond issue. The equipment and uniform purchases enhancing our programs have been made possible through some aggressive private fundraising campaigns, e.g. the FLHS Athletic Journal.

There is one area where the sports programs have suffered. The Fort Lee High School Boys and Girls Tennis Teams have been relegated to town courts located by the Recreation Center on Stillwell Avenue. Four of the courts are tolerable and four have been an abomination for years. At this point, these four abominations would be considered unplayable and even “dangerous” by the most generous of standards. Many times, kids would be playing volleyball or soccer on these courts as they are so wretched that no one wants to play tennis on them. (Attached pictures show the cracks and damage to the courts.) Apparently, that situation may be about to change.

In March 2018, I approached Borough Councilwoman Ila Kasovsky and implored her to work with me on this project. I invited her to meet me at the tennis courts personally to show her the abysmal state of the courts. She was appalled at the conditions upon her inspection. She agreed to present a proposal to the Borough Council in the hopes of remediation of this hazardous situation.

Ms. Kasovsky informed me that she had spoken to Mike Maresca, Director of the Department of General Services and Al Restaino, Borough Administrator. They both had reacted favorably to the suggestion to resurface these courts. It appeared that there was the possibility that this project could be included in a bond issue to be voted on in May 2018. If the Borough Council were to approve, the renovation could be started as early as June 2018. There was an opportunity here, one that Fort Lee thankfully chose not to ignore. Ms. Kasovsky called and delivered the news that there was a high probability that this could actually happen.

In mid-May 2018, Ms. Kasovsky verified that the resolution had passed and that if I wanted more information on a time frame to please call Mr. Restaino. I complied and Al certified that the project was indeed on the books, with a likelihood of a late June starting date. He explained that thirty (30) days must pass post-resolution prior to the onset of new work. While the resurfacing has not yet begun, I am optimistic that, within the next few weeks, it will be implemented. If not, one can be very certain that I will be on the “horn” with the powers-to-be!

Who are the true beneficiaries of this construction? The Fort Lee High School Tennis Teams and the entire community will greatly benefit from an upgraded, “safer” arena for the matches. Avid tennis players, young and old, will have upgraded, resurfaced courts. New families moving into Fort Lee will be impressed by Fort Lee’s willingness to maintain and upgrade its facilities. Children taking lessons will now have a place this summer to practice their newly acquired skills. This is a total win-win for Fort Lee. Thank you to the Borough Council for its approval. Special Thanks to Ila Kasovsky for her support!

This project was very special to me personally, having had the pleasure of working with some members of the Fort Lee High School Girls Tennis Team. But as a long-time coach of recreational sports, it is clear that this project is just one of many that need to be addressed. Constitution Park needs the softball and baseball fields to be maintained. The Inwood Terrace field needs to be revamped into a playable recreational area. The National League baseball field needs to be resurfaced with artificial turf. We recognize the costs to complete these projects, but Fort Lee kids deserve safe and modern facilities. Now that Fort Lee has “the Modern” Towers, we need to make everything in this town more “modern” to keep up!

One final pet project of mine needs to be mentioned. For most of the summer, the Lewis F. Cole Middle School field is unused during day hours. While recognizing that artificial turf can become very hot during the dog days of summer, it would provide Fort Lee kids with a safe place to play. It would take a joint venture with the Borough Council Recreation Department and the Board of Education to make this happen, as supervision would be required and access to the facility limited. That being said, our children could play soccer; baseball; softball; and even frisbee, if they so desired. With the limited recreation areas in Fort Lee, it is difficult to see why this could not be engineered with a cooperative effort. Just a thought!

For the future Roger Federers and Serena Williamses residing in Fort Lee, hopefully, you will be enjoying the new courts very soon!