Minneapolis nonprofit maintains clay tennis courts in city's public parks with goal of accessibility

MINNEAPOLIS — A nonprofit organization is leading the way to help put down clay tennis courts across Minneapolis.

"They're the best courts in the Twin Cities," said Charles Weed, president of Minneapolis Community Clay Courts , a nonprofit that approached the city to construct the first public clay courts in the Minneapolis park system.

"The park board had to take a chance on us," Weed said.

It worked and the courts opened to the public in October 2021 at Waveland Triangle Park in Linden Hills.

"It's equity first. It's not tennis first, it's equity first," said Weed.

The courts are accessible to anyone with a racket, providing a place to learn and compete for tennis players from wide socioeconomic backgrounds.

Players also need to help take care of the courts, brushing and cleaning the lines after playing.

"I have not found a single location in the United States that's taken care of by volunteers, has no membership, no reservation system, free of charge," explained Weed.

Clay courts allow for slower play and are softer than traditional asphalt, making tennis easier on players' joints.

"Find somebody that's a little bit better than you that can get the ball to you. If you have an interest in the game, the skills will come. Secondly, bring a lot of balls so you're not spending your time picking up balls all the time. Thirdly, start short. Don't try to do all the way to the baseline. It's intimidating. Take half the court," he said.

It's clear Weed has served a lot of aces with the free, public clay courts, but he and others are working to build more places to play in diverse spaces around the city.

"If the mission is to make clay courts available to everyone. Let's move this around. The superintendent said he wanted to build five of these. We're working on number two now," said Weed.

Minneapolis Community Clay Courts is now working with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to fundraise for and transform three tennis courts to clay along Minnehaha Creek.