Our story
Bay City was originally home to 50 courts open to the public. But as court maintenance costs increased and the number of tennis players decreased, many courts were not kept up and ultimately closed down. In 2012, a local high school student pushed to have better courts to play on. He began his campaign to raise funds for new courts in Bay City. The Bay Community Tennis Association was formed as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with a vision to build eight public outdoor tennis courts! The site would be on a Bay City Public School property on Park Ave., where the former Jefferson school used to stand. The courts are named after Educator Dr. Janet Jopke. Her family made a generous donation to the courts in her honor. Richard Shaw from Shaw Contracting generously donated his services and the BCTA is forever grateful to him and his family.
The courts welcomed the first players in 2019 thanks to the efforts of many generous donors, Bay City Public Schools, the Bay City Central Booster Club, and the Bay Community Tennis Association (BCTA). The BCTA is made up of an active volunteer board. The BCTA works tirelessly all year to maintain our great facility through donations, programming, grants, and fundraising.
Our mission
Provide courts for recreational and competitive use
Promote health, fitness, and athletic excellence
Maintain facility and park through community support
Our current goals
We continue to grow tennis in the Bay City area. We have partnerships with the USTA along with being the home courts for Bay City Central High School. We provide middle and high school kids with a number of tennis programs and events, including weekly ‘social tennis.’ We have adult social tennis 2 nights a week. We work with the YMCA on both youth and adult tennis classes and programs. We are planning to bring more leagues and tournaments to the courts. There is something for everyone at the Jopke tennis courts! Tennis is a lifelong sport… Get out and play! Whether you have been playing tennis for years, or have never played…come play on the best area courts and enjoy our beautiful facility!
Current fundraiser
We currently have a Cash Raffle going on, where you can win $10,000! All proceeds go toward the maintenance of the courts. Tickets are $50. You can find more info on our website and Facebook page.
We also accept donations all year long. We have sponsorship opportunities available as well.
Get involved – if you are interested in our organization or just want more info about tennis, go to our website or Facebook page.
We hope to see you on the courts!
Guest Writer: Jane Klawon is a nurse, the girls varsity coach at Bay City Central High School, and member of the Bay Community Tennis Association.