The public now has access to San Benito High School’s on-campus tennis courts outside of regular school hours.
An agreement between the district and the city of Hollister means the courts will be accessible when school is not in session, specifically Monday through Friday from 6:30-8:30pm and Saturdays from 8am to 5pm.
Reservations are required in advance by calling Hollister Recreation at (831) 636-4390. Tennis players must have their receipt with them when they are using the courts and the facility may only be used for tennis.
“I’m excited that Hollister Rec and the high school have reached a usage agreement for the Baler Tennis Center Courts,” said Athletic Director Tod Thatcher. “Tennis is such a great sport. I’m pleased that we can offer such a beautiful facility to be enjoyed by our community.”
Thatcher added that he hopes “more of our younger, elementary-aged kids will get exposed to the game of tennis” through the facility usage agreement. Currently, the tennis courts at Dunne Park are the only publicly-accessible tennis courts in Hollister.
“Our high school teams are constantly trying to improve our participation numbers and the more kids in our community that play, the stronger our teams will be,” Thatcher said, noting that the Baler boys’ team, in particular, struggled to fill its squad this year.
Hollister Recreation Supervisor Tina Garza said her department sees the agreement “as a great opportunity for future partnerships” between the city and the high school. “Hollister Recreation is looking into offering adult tennis lessons. With the use of the lights at the high school, we can offer tennis lessons in the evening.”
The city and the recreation department signed a one-year agreement on Jan. 1, and can be renewed for an additional five one-year terms.
San Benito High School Superintendent Shawn Tennenbaum said that the agreement is “another example of the high school district building relationships” with the City of Hollister and County of San Benito.
