Mission
These courts are free of charge and open to the public. First come, first served. Reserve the court by putting your racquet up on the board to indicate that you would like the next hour.
Mission
To build community by making clay court tennis accessible to everyone.
Vision
Our vision is to build and maintain nationally recognized, unique public park experiences for everyone in Minneapolis. Similar to a community garden, a public clay tennis court brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to use and maintain a public facility. Community members will be stewards of this environmentally friendly space. This project aligns with the Minneapolis Park Board’s mission to promote health, well-being and community. We propose to build and maintain new clay surfaced tennis courts in public parks where the hard surfaced courts are currently in disrepair.
Why We Do This
- Community: Taking responsibility for maintaining clay courts and enjoying this unique athletic experience is an excellent civic engagement project. These courts provide an inter-generational gathering space for people with widely varied socio-economic backgrounds.
- Accessibility: With the exception of MCCC locations, clay courts are only available to people with the resources to join private tennis clubs. Our courts are the only clay court facility in the Twin Cities metropolitan area available to everyone for free.
- Health: Our courts are softer than traditional asphalt creating a tennis experience that is easier on players' joints, allowing them to continue to play tennis as they age.
- Environment: Clay courts are permeable. Moisture seeps into the court surface rather than running off into storm drains. This helps protect watershed resources and keeps the urban landscape cooler.
- Sustainability: Clay courts last forever if properly maintained because the surface does not crack. The quality of MCCC courts will always be as good the first day they opened.