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"If we have to continue to play at a public park, chase bums off the courts, clean up broken glass, and have nets stolen the night before matches, we'll never get to the NCAA." .
That was the response of Rex Ecarma '88A, head coach of the U of L men's tennis team, when long-time supporter Lewis "Sonny" Bass '44A asked him several years ago when the team would make it to the NCAA tournament.
It was a belief shared by Meg Peavy '81A, '94G, head coach of the women's team since 1983. At that time, Peavy's position was part-time with no benefits. Matches were played on public courts, and practices were held on rented courts. That sometimes meant traveling 15 miles to practice from 9 to 11 in the evening. In 1987, there had been plans for a U of L tennis center, which advanced to the point of drawing blueprints, but it never reached construction stage and the players and coaches were still tennis nomads.
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"Everything we needed for practices was carried in the trunk of my car," says Peavy of those days. "It was a high school approach to college tennis. Those realities made the recruiting process very difficult."
Bass understood that U of L's tennis program needed a permanent home, and he embarked on a campaign to build one. He and Louisville philanthropist Mason Rudd AD, owner of Rudd Equipment Company, each donated $500,000 toward construction. Bill Rothwell '89 AD, a local interclub circuit player and U of L's vice president for development and alumni, brought in another $400,000 from private and corporate donors. U of L Athletics kicked in the rest to total $3.6 million for the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center, now considered one of the best facilities in college tennis.
After the efforts to raise funding and the long months of construction, it was a dream come true for U of L's coaches, players, and fans when four of the world's tennis legends, Rod Laver, Cliff Drysdale, Roscoe Tanner, and Fred Stolle came to Louisville in September 1994 to dedicate the new Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.
"I'll remember that date for the rest of my life," says Ecarma. "My new job (as director of the Bass-Rudd center) and new life had begun. It was like going from the backwoods to Beverly Hills. Bass, Rudd, Rothwell, and I had dreamed about that day for four years."
At the dedication, former Wimbledon champion Laver said, "It's magnificent. Facilities like this can make a difference." For Ecarma and Peavy, the Bass-Rudd center has made a huge difference. Both coaches say it's no coincidence that the level of play for both the men's and women's tennis teams has increased dramatically since the center was built.
The men's team rose from number 125 in the NCAA Rolex national rankings to number 45 just two years after the center opened, and the first players recruited after its opening took the men's team to the NCAA finals. The women's team vaulted from 17th to 10th place in the NCAA Rolex regional rankings in the past four years, and jumped from number 126 to number 80 nationally just last year.
"After the center opened, I had an incredible tool for recruiting, and I used that tool to bring in the class of 1995," says Ecarma. "Two and a half years later we went from the middle of the conference, with no chance at the NCAA, to the conference finals and a bid to the NCAA team championships-the first in the history of the program."
To Peavy, first and foremost, the Bass-Rudd complex was a physical testament to the university's commitment to tennis-to the coaches, to the athletes, and to the community.
"For the first time, the players felt an incredible sense of support from their athletic department," says Peavy, who became a full-time coach and associate director of the facility. "The center gave them a true home and a sense of identity and pride, which is an invaluable asset." That commitment, which has translated into higher caliber players, improved scheduling, and higher rankings, continues with the hiring this year of a weight trainer, Wendy Wormel from Utah, and future plans for a sports nutritionist and sports psychologist.
"The opportunity to train has been increased a hundredfold," says Peavy. "We now have a year-round, on-campus facility where players can come anytime. In addition to the use of a classroom and audio-visual equipment, we're able to do on-court training, and have room for working out indoors."
Current players agree that the Bass-Rudd center was a powerful tool in convincing them to play for U of L. Chris Steel, one of Ecarma's golden-boy players from Sydney, Australia, recalls, "During each week of the recruiting period, I received a picture in the mail of the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center from Coach Ecarma. Those images were what made me decide to come here."
Sophomore players Katie McLaughlin of South Palm Beach, Florida, and Kelly Whitler from Seymour, Indiana, are roommates and teammates, and they're both high on their new tennis home.
"Florida schools have nice facilities, but nothing as good as this," says McLaughlin of the Bass-Rudd center. "It was a definite influence on my decision to play at Louisville." And how do other coveted Florida recruits feel about the facility? According to McLaughlin, "Florida recruits are very impressed. One walked in and said, 'Wow, you are really being spoiled here.'"
Whitler agrees. She was recruited by Northern Arizona and Xavier. "They didn't even compare," she says. Most schools she visited didn't have courts on campus. "We can walk or bike to the facility here, and the Wimbledon Room offers a comfortable, quiet place to study. We are very fortunate... we love it!"
The success of the facility has also had a positive effect on U of L's plans for continued development of the Cardinal Park sports complex. The tennis center, along with Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, has set a standard of excellence that will influence all future projects. Says Mike Pollio '71G, U of L associate athletic director, "The Bass-Rudd Center and its method of management will be the prototype for each of the facilities in Cardinal Park." The project will include a women's softball stadium, a track and soccer complex, a natatorium, and a cardiopath.
The Bass-Rudd Tennis Center has already had a tremendous impact on U of L's tennis program. And, based on this year's recruiting prospects, it will continue to make a difference in the years to come. More than 100 players from around the world have expressed interest in U of L, including top players from Great Britain, Sweden, Romania, Switzerland, Finland, Italy, Germany, South America, and Hawaii. Peavy's list includes top U.S. players from California, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Maine, and Georgia.
Ecarma says he has been amazed by the interest generated in the tennis program. "Last year we had 175 players interested in U of L. We only had spots for three," he says. "I'm expecting visits this year from the number one player in Tennessee, the number two player in Georgia, and the number 10 player in Florida-all top 100 U.S. players who never would have considered talking to us five years ago."
www.louisville.edu/org/tennis/
Sue Evans is associate editor and tennis columnist for Louisville SportsReport, which produces Sports in partnership with UofL Magazine.
