Central Falls To Cut Ribbon On New Tennis Courts

CENTRAL FALLS, Ri — Central Falls is no longer the only municipality in Rhode Island without a tennis court.

On Tuesday morning a ribbon cutting is planned at the new Sacred Heart Tennis Courts, a facility funded by the U.S. Tennis Association New England and the state's Department of Environmental Management. International tennis leaders will be on hand to help the city celebrate.

Making use of the new courts and expert instruction, inner-city youth will be exposed to the game and gain athletic skills, said Mayor Maria Rivera in a news release.

the U.S. Tennis Association New England has been working in Central Falls since 2015, offering free lessons through the Parks and Recreation Department and Progreso Latino. The response has been positive, with wait-listed programs. Until now, youthful participants have had to make use of creative spaces such as gyms and asphalt parking lots, Rivera’s office said.

Live in Central Falls? Click here to subscribe to our breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. You can also download our Patch mobile app on Android or iPhone.

Visiting the city on Tuesday will be Todd Martin, a former world-ranked pro player and CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame; Dave Champoux, president of the U.S. Tennis Association New England, and Claudio Mejia of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

The public is invited to attend the 10 a.m. August 3 ceremony at 1 Sacred Heart Avenue.