The tennis scene in Cambridge is in a bit of a pickle after GSM Tennis had to leave the Core Recreation Complex. When Gabe Voros sold his share of the complex to the Cheer Sport Sharks, it set off a chain reaction that left a lot of players without a place to play. According to Voros, GSM Tennis, which he co-owned, was given the boot by the sharks, and now hundreds of players, young and old, are either on long waiting lists or have nowhere to play.
GSM Tennis had a good thing going – they were a certified Tennis Canada development centre, won a bunch of championships, had a solid team, and a whole bunch of members. But now, they’re out in the cold, and the sharks aren’t saying much about it.
Finding a new place to play at such short notice has been a real headache for the players. They thought they had a new spot lined up, but that fell through due to some building issues. Even with the help of the mayor, they couldn’t make it work.
The impact of this whole situation has been huge, especially for the players in Cambridge. They were already turning away kids and adults because they didn’t have enough space, and now some of their regulars are stuck on long waitlists at other clubs.
One of the players, Gordon Miller, used to play at Core but now has to trek all the way to Guelph to get some court time. It’s a hassle, and the courts are packed all the time. He’s been trying to find a solution, even reaching out to the city and tennis clubs, but it’s been tough.
He thinks maybe they could repurpose an arena after the construction at Preston Auditorium is done, but for now, they’re stuck waiting. The real losers in all of this are the junior players who have been left in the lurch. Where do they go now? That’s the big question.