Mike Oransky Tennis, located at Westside Park, is a professionally staffed, full service tennis center that has offered quality programming to the public for many years. However, the operations of this facility were crammed into a tiny, increasingly dilapidated “tennis hut”. In spite of the considerable need for a better facility and restrooms, funding for a pro-shop simply never materialized. Finally, at the Climb for Cancer charity tennis exhibition in February, 2009, Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan promised all the attendees that a new tennis pro-shop would be built at Westside Park.

The passage of the Wild Spaces Public Places (WSPP) ½ cent sales tax initiative by the citizens of Alachua County has allowed the construction of much-needed renovations and upgrades to many parks in the Gainesville/Alachua County area.

The City of Gainesville placed construction of a new tennis pro-shop on the list of WSPP projects. When the actual income from the sales tax was found to be considerably less than the projected income, a re-prioritization of the projects took place. Thanks to a large turnout of tennis enthusiasts at a city commission meeting, the pro-shop/restroom facility was retained on the list. Ground-breaking took place in March, 2010, and the building, complete with restrooms, storage space, office, and pro-shop was completed in June, 2010.

Old tennis hut (to the left)

After-new tennis pro-shop at Westside

Excerpted from:http://www.usatennisflorida.usta.com/mehan_gainesville_quickstart_tennis_guru_named_usta_florida_june_vom/July 1, 2010

Gainesville’s Bobbie Mehan began volunteering for USTA Florida roughly two years ago, and in that span she has radically changed how tennis is taught to 10-and-under players, not only at her club but throughout the city. Her volunteering has paralleled the rise of QuickStart Tennis, which was introduced roughly two years ago, and is rapidly being adopted as the “t-ball of tennis” for teaching 10-and-under children.

When the Jonesville Tennis Center opened in Gainesville in early 2009, Mehan was immediately on board to help organize junior players and implement a new program that wasn’t being used at any other club in Gainesville — QuickStart Tennis.

“We started with five kids the first season, then 10 kids the second season, now in our third season we have four different clubs doing QuickStart league play,” Mehan says. “What happens is the kids come every week and take a lesson and leave, unless you get them involved in league or tournament play. And then it becomes more of a team sport, and it becomes a lot more fun.”

Mehan developed into the QuickStart director for the Jonesville facility, in addition to captaining several of the USTA Jr. Team Tennis (JTT) squads. This year Mehan was hand-picked by USTA Florida Competitive Tennis Coordinator Andy Gladstone as one of five sites across Florida to host pilot QuickStart tournaments, and Jonesville hosted its first QuickStart tournament this past May.

“QuickStart tournaments are the vision for the future for competitive 10-and under-tournaments,” Gladstone said. “Bobby is one of five top-notch tournament directors who will keep Florida on the right path in QuickStart tournaments.”

In addition to captaining Gainesville’s “G-Power” USTA Jr. Team Tennis squad to the state 12-Advanced title this year, edging out Orlando’s “The Acers,” Mehan has helped other clubs merge teams to participate in the state championships, has coordinated after-school QuickStart programs at eight area elementary schools, a season-ending Tennis Fun Day for 130 kids, and provided clinics at area high schools for disabled children.

“Bobbie has been instrumental in introducing QuickStart Tennis into after-school programs and several local facilities,” said Gainesville USTA league coordinator Linda Green. “She helped get other pros in the area familiar with QuickStart and urged them to offer the format at their facilities. Bobbie is organizing a series of QuickStart tournaments – the first ones in the Gainesville area. She knows how to make tennis fun and really connects with players of all ages. I’m really excited that Bobbie is being recognized by USTA Florida for all of her hard work.”

Mehan’s love of tennis dates to her junior and high school days in Kansas, where with her older sister Bonnie she won the Kansas High School Doubles State title. Honored as USTA Florida’s June 2010 Volunteer of the Month, Mehan is a medical journal administrative assistant by day, but by evenings and on weekends changes, without the need for a phone booth, into a super volunteer for USTA Florida and Gainesville’s junior tennis population.

“I started playing tennis in the USTA Missouri Valley Section when I was nine, and tennis has been such a huge part of my life,” Mehan said. “I want all kids to have the opportunity to enjoy the sport!”

“QuickStart tournaments are the vision for the future for competitive 10-and under-tournaments,” Gladstone said. “Bobby is one of five top-notch tournament directors who will keep Florida on the right path in QuickStart tournaments.”

In addition to captaining Gainesville’s “G-Power” USTA Jr. Team Tennis squad to the state 12-Advanced title this year, edging out Orlando’s “The Acers,” Mehan has helped other clubs merge teams to participate in the state championships, has coordinated after-school QuickStart programs at eight area elementary schools, a season-ending Tennis Fun Day for 130 kids, and provided clinics at area high schools for disabled children.

“Bobbie has been instrumental in introducing QuickStart Tennis into after-school programs and several local facilities,” said Gainesville USTA league coordinator Linda Green. “She helped get other pros in the area familiar with QuickStart and urged them to offer the format at their facilities. Bobbie is organizing a series of QuickStart tournaments – the first ones in the Gainesville area. She knows how to make tennis fun and really connects with players of all ages. I’m really excited that Bobbie is being recognized by USTA Florida for all of her hard work.”

Mehan’s love of tennis dates to her junior and high school days in Kansas, where with her older sister Bonnie she won the Kansas High School Doubles State title. Honored as USTA Florida’s June 2010 Volunteer of the Month, Mehan is a medical journal administrative assistant by day, but by evenings and on weekends changes, without the need for a phone booth, into a super volunteer for USTA Florida and Gainesville’s junior tennis population.

“I started playing tennis in the USTA Missouri Valley Section when I was nine, and tennis has been such a huge part of my life,” Mehan said. “I want all kids to have the opportunity to enjoy the sport!”