Among the many new changes happening at Staples High School this year, the new tennis courts being installed is definitely an exciting one.

The tennis courts were in desperate need of improvement. “They were the worst courts in the FCIAC,” boys’ junior varsity player Bobby Becker ’16 said.

Being almost 30 years old, there were many dead spots, holes, and cracks, players said. In addition, there were areas on the court where the paint was chipped off, causing the players to slip or fall. Players said it was frustrating to play on those courts, and irritating when it threw off the game.

“To say the least, the renovation was long overdue,” girls’ varsity captain Melissa Beretta ’14 said.

Luckily the wait for the new courts is over. All six courts are being completely re-done and should be finished by the 2014 season.

The new courts will almost be unrecognizable, according to varsity coach Paco Fabian. The asphalt will be ground down and replaced with a new layer, the nets and fencing will be completely replaced, and most importantly, the lifespan of the new courts will be increased thanks to the upgraded drainage system around the courts.

Players agreed that the old courts weren’t helping the teams win. In fact, they said that if anything, they were just preventing the team from playing to their best ability. “The dead spots and cracks were very distracting because they just caused aggravation and stress. Players shouldn’t be worrying about the faults in the court while they’re also trying to win a match,” Beretta said.

“I am very excited for the new courts… they should enhance our playing and hopefully help us win some matches” Fabian said. Fabian isn’t the only one confident that their game should improve. “The new courts will bring out a new and improved team,” said Beretta. “We are going to have a fantastic year, and the new courts will definitely pump us up for the season.”