The biggest draw at the 2011 Yukon Territorial Championships is the newly-surfaced Mount McIntyre tennis courts.

The championships started Thursday with men's, women's and mixed doubles matches, and will continue through to Sunday with the finals starting at 10 a.m.

Tennis Yukon president Stacy Lewis spoke to a small crowd last night before players took to the courts. The grand opening for the courts featured a ribbon-cutting by Coun. Betty Irwin. And cake.

Lewis beamed while speaking to the group, telling the Star afterward she was still "in shock” over the surfaces.

"There were just so many roadblocks along the way and it didn't seem like it was going to happen and it didn't seem like we were getting anyone's attention,” Lewis said.

Tennis Yukon first hit the alarm in 2007, she added.

Lotteries Yukon answered the call by pitching in $5,000, a figure Tennis Yukon eventually matched. The Community Development Fund contributed $20,000, bringing the total to within $15,000 of the $45,000 total to resurface the courts.

That number was reached in July with the approval of a $15,000 recreation grant approval.

"The cracking was getting worse each year and there was just no plan in sight,” Lewis said. "That first $5,000 from Lotteries, that first person stepping forward and saying, ‘Yes, you are right, that's a great asset and that needs some attention. Then we got momentum, and everybody else started to come on board.”

Tennis Yukon got another boost in July with a lease agreement with the City of Whitehorse to take control of the courts.

Lewis said the growth in membership and programming got attention from the community. Tennis Yukon's membership has quadrupled in the past three years, from 25 in 2008 to 100 this summer.

Programming has influenced the jump, Lewis said.

"We're in the schools, we're in the city programs, we're operating year-round with our lessons at the college. I think it's pretty clear that we're invested in the community as well. I guess that message finally got through.”

The major difference between the new and old courts for the players is visual.

The old courts were the standard green – faded green Lewis pointed out – surrounded by a clay-coloured brown. Now, the bright green ball will show up more clearly against the dark blue of the new courts, surrounded by green.

"At first they'll be a little bit slower; that's real typical of acrylic surfaces as they're setting,” Lewis noted. "But it's not going to change anybody's play.”

Two of the courts were also painted lines for what Tennis Canada calls "progressive tennis,” which involves three stages.

Beginners start on the smallest court within the court, which is played across, using special nets and the outside doubles lines as the baselines.

As players develop through each stage, the dimensions expand in thirds to full court.

For lessons, Lewis said, Tennis Yukon can bypass putting down masking tape for lines.

"That's how tennis is now taught across North America and Europe. It's just a great message for us to be sending to the community: progressive tennis, teaching tennis as a life-time skill and teaching to all ages and abilities is really important to us.”

It's a welcomed change for Team Yukon head coach Jan Polivka.

"What is important for us and for me as a head coach is we have another six, seven years to practice with the kids for more tournaments,” Polivka said. "This is important for our development.”

Added Lewis: "I think it's a sport that makes sense here, it's a sport that makes sense in winter communities, you can play it at any age and any ability and really enjoy it, so it's a no-brainer really.”

By JONATHAN RUSSELL

Star Sports Editor