Staying home to play tennis

Clark and Caryn Vitek spent the past 22 Thanksgiving vacations playing tennis in Palm Springs, Calif. This year, they had a good reason to stay home.

Oh sure, they still played tennis. But this time, it was in their new four court 27,000-square foot translucent covered facility in Camas.

“Thanksgiving is our family’s favorite holiday,” Caryn Vitek said. “I am so thankful that we are open, and that we can start being an active part of this community. We look forward to serving our members, their families and guests, and giving them opportunities to play tennis all year long, right here at home.”

Evergreen Tennis, located at 5225 N.W. 38th Ave., is open every day from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hours will expand in the new year with increasing membership growth. If the need becomes great enough, there are plans to build two more indoor courts on site.

Individuals and doubles teams can play together for an hour to 90 minutes. Prices are $36 to $66 depending on the day and time. There are also memberships available for people who play once or five times a week.

Clark Vitek said the project took about 18 months to complete. Groundbreaking occured in May, the foundation and court construction began in the summer, and the building started going up after Labor Day. The roof has been made to withstand up to 135 mph winds. The tensile fabric held up by aluminum frames creates a natural light setting without worrying about the outdoor elements.

“This facility has already been tested by a windstorm, lots of rain, hail and ice,” Caryn Vitek said.

“No matter what the weather is like out there, it will always be nicer in here,” Clark Vitek added.

Registration is underway for junior tennis lessons and leagues. John Heim, the head pro of junior programming, has dedicated more than 30 years of his life to teaching this sport to children in Clark County.

An adult tennis program and private lessons are also available upon request.

For more information about Evergreen Tennis, call 557-7230 or visit www.evergreentennis.net.