The tennis courts upon which Bailey Galvin-Poellot and her teammates practiced 12 years ago are a far cry from what the players she coaches are able to play on today.
“This is the dream,” the Burlington High School graduate turned teacher and tennis coach said March 25 following a ribbon cutting ceremony that marked not only the start of a new season, but also the return of the Burlington Grayhounds to their home court.
First installed in 1971, years of use had taken a toll on the surface of the school’s original tennis courts, and hairline cracks gradually gave way to widening valleys.
“Twelve years ago, I was playing as a student on some not so great courts right in this spot,” Galvin-Poellot recalled.
In the interest of player safety, practices and meets were moved to Crapo Park in 2019.
“It just wasn’t a competitive court anymore,” Superintendent Robert Scott said. “Our goal was to get back to hosting conferences, district meets, things like that. That was the vision of getting this started.”
And it’s a vision that will soon be fulfilled. The Grayhounds are back at BHS, and the courts they’re playing on are purple and gray.
It’s a full circle moment for Galvin-Poellot, who, in her five years of coaching, has seen the girls tennis team grow from 14 to 30.
“As a proud BHS alumni that played on this court and now as a coach, this facility is one of the best that we can have but also one of the best that we have ever played on with our previous competitors,” she said. “These courts match the program that we’re building and what we bring as athletes and students.”
Boys soccer coach Brian Mumm said the new courts are something to be proud of, and he looks forward to hosting other teams during meets.
“We have the best tennis courts in our entire conference,” he said. “It’s not even close.”
The tennis courts are a part of Burlington High School’s $43 million renovation project, made possible by Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (via sales tax) and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.
Other completed work thus far includes reconfiguration of and updated classrooms in three academic wings and offices, collaboration spaces, an enclosed walkway connecting the main building to the industrial arts building, HVAC work, and the addition of a weight room. Other updates to sports facilities at BHS include new fencing, scoreboards, batting cages and backstops, along with expanded dugouts on the baseball and softball fields; an updated infield on the baseball field; and new fencing and a new discus area on the track, which also will have a new scoreboard in the near future.
By the time the project is complete in August, that work will also include an updated media center, a fourth and final updated academic wing, and a new gym floor.
“The gains and improvements we’ve made over these past few years are amazing — inside our building, outside our building, for our classrooms, for our facilities,” BHS Principal Nathan Marting said. “What Burlington is offering our students is truly second to none in Iowa.”
Marting and Activities Director Jay Huff thanked Scott and the Burlington School Board for their stewardship, support, planning and oversight not just of the tennis courts, but of the renovation project as a whole.
“These are going to be used by the community, by our P.E. classes,” Huff said. “I cannot say enough how fantastic this project has turned out.”
And the students are ready for their season to get underway.
“This place is amazing,” senior Tomas Rascon said. “This court is something I’m super grateful to be a part of.”
“To be here with our home gym and our home track and field is amazing, and now we finally have tennis courts that … are beautiful,” senior Annalise Buxton said. “I’m really excited for the upcoming season.
The Grayhounds will host their first home meet April 3, when the boys will take on Keokuk. The girls’ first home meet will be April 7.
