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Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center
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A new era in tennis at the University of Virginia dawned four yearsago with the opening of the Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center, a $1.4million complex constructed in the heart of the historic grounds.The 13-court facility showcases UVa’s nationally-ranked men’s andwomen’s tennis teams. With an environment to assure a winningprogram, the complex boasts state-of-the-art lighting and spectatorareas built into the adjacent hillsides. Plans for the complex alsoinclude a tennis pavilion that will house instructional and meetingareas, tournament administration headquarters, and equipment storagespace.
“The Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center is one of the finest collegiatetennis facilities in the country,” head coach Brian Boland said. “Weare extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful facility in which tocompete and practice. Its location also provides tremendousvisibility for the team, as we are the only athletic facility in thecentral grounds. This will allow us to be visible to the largenumber of tennis enthusiasts in the University and Charlottesvillecommunity.”
The tennis center is named after Sheridan Snyder, a 1958 UVa graduatewho founded the National Junior Tennis League. Snyder is also a boardmember of Friends of Virginia Tennis.
“Sherri Snyder loves the University of Virginia as much as anyone Ihave ever met,” Boland added. “He played tennis for UVa and wascaptain of the team. We owe him and many other alumni and friendsour sincere appreciation for providing us one of the finestfacilities in the country.”
Virginia’s Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center not only provides a home forthe Cavaliers, but also hosts institutions from the community andaround the nation. In addition to University faculty and stafftournaments, clinics, and student classes, the courts accommodatecommunity participants in the Dogwood Festival Tournament, a numberof Junior Tournaments, and MATA Tournaments. Open 18 hours a day, theCenter provides more than 120 hours of tennis opportunities eachweek. The University community’s enthusiasm over the facility isevident in the steady stream of people enjoying the new courts.
Tennis facilities at UVa date back to 1931 with the construction ofthe Lady Astor tennis courts. The school’s first tennis center wasmade possible by a gift from Nancy Lady Astor, a Virginia-born memberof the British Parliament, who contributed her resources on thecondition that others would take part in the venture.
During the more than six decades since the original 14 courts werebuilt, innumerable matches have been played on the site.
Together, the University and The Friends of Tennis program hope tobuild on Lady Astor’s foundation and create the most impressive andfunctional facility for collegiate tennis in the nation.