By Max Singer
Many may have walked past the empty tennis courts near the Pavilion and wondered why Whatcom Community College students don’t use them. Remy Acosta, 18, a student at Whatcom, wants to change that.
“We have the equipment and we have the arenas,” Acosta said. “What’s stopping us?”
Acosta is collecting signatures to petition the Student Senate to get an official tennis club started. With 20 signatures already accounted for and submitted, additional ones can help show student interest, he said.
“We’ve never had a tennis team before,” said Student Life Director Kris Baier. Like any club on campus, “it is formed by student interest. Students really passionate about tennis for instance, [would] then petition the Student Senate as a club,” he said.
Acosta said he wants to get the club formed in time for the spring season, with the hope of forming a competitive interscholastic team in the future.
However, the transition from a student club to a college team is complex, Baier said.
“The athletic program is a much larger process, and would be a much bigger jump,” Baier said. Creating a college team involves additional expenditures, including scholarships, coaching costs, referee fees, as well at traveling expenses and uniforms, he added.
But for now, Acosta is focusing on getting the club up-and-running.
To form a club on campus, students need a faculty advisor, a required number of students depending on the type of club, regular meetings, and a “plan of action,” according to the Associated Students’ Application for Club Recognition on Whatcom’s Student Life web page.
“There is also a reasonable expectation for students to sponsor their equipment and cover initial costs,” Baier said.
Acosta said one of the main benefits of joining is “just to know more people.”
“It’s all about school spirit, to get the students together,” Acosta said. There’s “no experience necessary, and we invite all potential tennis enthusiasts.”
“A few of my closest friends play tennis,” Acosta added. “In fact, we usually have two to three spare rackets, for other interested players.”
To help get Acosta’s plans in motion, Robin Chan, a member of Whatcom’s International Sports Club, said he would assist in recruiting and gathering equipment.
Acosta said he hopes to hear back from the Student Senate by Feb. 20 regarding the tennis club’s outcome.
Meanwhile, Chan, Acosta, and anyone else who is interested practice on Whatcom’s courts from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday. The courts are operated on a first-come, first-served basis.
The International Sports Club also has a Facebook page, “which is open to the community, and good for important events,” said Acosta, who can be reached at remieratatouille@gmail.com.
