Tennis court’s future depends on residents

By Chelsea Laskowski

         The tennis court is available for all Mossbank residents to use.             
                                                                                                                                                                                   Photo: Chelsea Laskowski
MOSSBANK - The refurbished Mossbank tennis court has the potential to be much more than a slab of asphalt.

Past the freshly-painted lines, crisp net and through the chain-link fence of the tennis court, one can see Mossbank's sports arena, a swimming pool and a colourful playground. Two small red nets opposite each other on one half of the court allow residents to play handball and street hockey.

If given a chance, many new programs can grow within these courts. Mossbank is full of good recreation ideas but struggles with follow-through. One example is the discontinuation of a walking group at the school, which allowed residents to exercise indoors. Jennifer Krauss, ex-recreation director, explained that a lack of supervisors and organizers limits the the use of the town’s facilities.

Krauss has a stake in the success of the refurbished courts-- she started off the project by applying for a $10,000 grant for the project through the Community Initiatives Fund in 2010. A back injury forced Krauss out of her role before the funding was approved. Around that time, Jim Fedyk was moving back to his home town after spending eight years in Asia.

"The minute I stepped off the airplane the job kinda opened up so it was perfect timing," said Fedyk, who took on the role in mid-November of that year.

Soon into Fedyk’s new role in Mossbank, the Community Initiatives Board approved the funding to put plastic tile on top of the the existing asphalt. But after the spring thaw in 2011, the condition of the asphalt was deemed too poor to hold the tile. Instead of a layer of plastic tile, the asphalt needed a complete overhaul. The grant needed to be re-approved, and, more importantly, the costs almost quadrupled.

Fedyk needed the approval of council members for the increasing costs of the refurbishment. Influencing the community to foot the remainder of the project required changing the concept of a simple court to what Fedyk called a “multi-sport court.” Fedyk envisioned people playing volleyball, street hockey and badminton in a court that features removable posts.

On Aug.19, after the asphalt-pouring, fence-building and net installation, the tennis court project and Fedyk's time in Mossbank came full circle. He had accepted a job in Alberta and was to move about a week after the tennis court's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Fedyk’s departure marked the end of a three-year government grant which funded the recreation director position. Even with the grant, the town struggled to keep a director. Carol Myles, a recreation board member, said three of the four past directors chased better-paying job opportunities in larger centers. Mossbank simply could not compete.

"(Fedyk) got offered just about twice what we'd been paying him, so how could you refuse?" said Myles. "If you get someone that's qualified and is good, they're gonna make twice as much somewhere else. We just can't offer what they would like."

Fedyk left an impression in town. While activities such as hockey, swimming and baseball thrive in Mossbank, Krauss thinks "it's very hard to get people to try new things.” Fedyk persisted with new ideas, which sparked an interest in floor hockey. When a government grant provided floor hockey sticks, children enjoyed indoor games of floor hockey. Since the tennis court is equipped with two red nets for street hockey, kids may get the itch to strap on some roller blades and play the game outdoors as well.

After spending nine months in Fedyk's hands, the court’s structure is promising, but its success requires community involvement. All recreational programs largely rest on the shoulders of volunteers.

"A lot of (it) is falling back on the rec board," said Krauss. "The ones that are volunteering, they volunteer for everything. It's the same people that are doing everything and they're burning out. You can only ask so much of them."

With $27,000 invested in the courts, the town has a financial stake in keeping its court from falling into disuse like courts in other small communities. Don Smith, a town member, notes that towns like “Rouleau have two or more (courts) and no one uses them.”

Smith has already influenced people to come out and play tennis. In a town that had five courts at one time, Smith and friends are regulars out on the refurbished courts. "I saw a couple of guys out there last night,” Smith noted.

As a member of the recreation board who started up several programs, Krauss is also dedicated to the success of the court. She said she plans to "make sure I can help out in any way I can because I don't want to see things start dying out again.”

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