10 Nov Court Makeover Success
USTA Tennis Venue Services (TVS) grants are awarded to facilities across the country each year to help schools, clubs, parks and other organizations refresh, build or rebuild their tennis courts and facilities.
One of those TVS projects was a request by Amelia Dirks, tennis head coach at Trego Community High School. Dirks asked for funding help with resurfacing the tennis courts at the high school in WaKeeney, Kansas. The project was completed in August 2025, just in time for a new school year and tennis season.
The resurfacing project cost a total of $55,900. USTA National granted $27,950, and the USTA Missouri Valley contributed $2,500. On Sept. 27 at the refreshed tennis facility, Mary Buschmann, USTA Missouri Valley CEO and executive director, presented the $30,450 TVS check.
“Our five courts were totally resurfaced, and two of the courts were painted with junior lines,” Dirks said. “We had pretty, fresh courts to start our fall season—it was beyond awesome.”
Dirks, a WaKeeney native, graduated from Trego Community High School and also taught at the school for two years. She was a four-year tennis player at Bethany College. Dirks applied for the USTA TVS grant after learning about the program through a mention in an email from the Kansas State High School Activities Association.
“KSHSAA sent us weekly emails, and I noticed they included an attachment with fairly vague information about the USTA and grants,” Dirks said. “Our courts were overdue for a resurface job, and unfortunately our district wasn’t prepared to resurface the courts just yet. So, I decided I would inquire with the USTA, and the rest is history.”
The resurfaced courts come as a welcome addition to the tennis facility and programming at the school, which is one of the few schools in northwest Kansas to have such a facility—or even boys’ and girls’ tennis teams.
“This was a really special thing for our tennis program,” Dirks said. “We are very fortunate to have the facility that we do.”
Thanks to having such a nice facility, the courts see a great deal of use throughout the year. Several tennis tournaments and events are hosted there each year, including postseason tournaments. So, it was important for the courts to be refreshed and ready for play ahead of the new school year.
Dirks stepped up to apply for the grant to try to ensure the facility could withstand the amount of traffic anticipated for years to come.
“School budgets are often spread thin. When I found out the resurfacing of the courts was not going to be happening in the near future, I decided to see how I could help,” Dirks said. “Receiving this grant was truly such a blessing to our community, school and tennis programs.”
As a longtime tennis player who is now in her 20th season coaching high school tennis, Dirks said it is her goal to ensure students get exposure to the sport when they otherwise might not be able to. The USTA TVS grant helps her do just that, and she’s incredibly grateful.
“I would like to thank everyone I interacted with through the USTA. Everyone was so kind and incredibly helpful,” Dirks said. “I love this sport, and it is no surprise that the people who work to grow this game are so fabulous.
“In western Kansas, people tend to have limited exposure to tennis. However, I plan to do my best to expose as many students as possible to it. This sport is so special, and it has countless wonderful aspects. I have yet to meet someone who regrets taking on this sport.”
