Less than five years after opening, the Colby Tennis Center has reached a milestone that reflects its role as a regional recreational resource: the 10,000th reservation. Colby's Mary Shoaff booked the 10,000th reservation online. She will receive a pickleball T-shirt and a gift card to the Colby Community College bookstore.

Located on the east side of the College campus, the 21,328-square-foot facility opened in October 2021. With two full-size collegiate tennis courts, two pickleball courts, and a walking area, the CTC was a welcome addition in a region where weather can limit outdoor recreation for much of the year. Students and community members can use it, with court reservations, at no charge.

“A lot of individuals helped make this facility a reality," said President Seth Carter. "However, three primary individuals, Greg Bellamy and Mark and Wendy Weishaar, were the driving force behind its creation. I will always be thankful to them for their vision of making this a community resource. It is incredible to think that in under five years, the Tennis Center has had nearly twice the number of reservations as the population of Colby.”

The Colby Tennis Center began as a partnership among Colby Community College, private donors, Colby Public Schools and the City of Colby. Following an initial meeting in December 2020, grants and private donations fully funded the approximately $1.2 million facility without public funds. More than $550,000 was pledged when fundraising began in February 2021, and the remaining money was secured in just 54 days. Stephens Construction of Colby was the contractor, and it officially opened on Oct. 24 with a ribbon-cutting and community open house. Designed to serve both the College and the broader community, the CTC is available to Colby Public Schools students, recreational players, and scheduled men's, women's and senior leagues.

"Every time I walk through the doors, even today, I still giggle a little bit inside, thinking about how lucky we are to have this wonderful facility and how many people are benefiting from its use," Wendy Weishaar said.

The building is on the site of the College's former outdoor tennis courts, which surveys revealed were rarely used. Now, the Tennis Center's reservations page is one of the most-visited sections at colbycc.edu. That's a lot of traffic for an institution that has seen increased student inquiries and enrollment gains of more than 10 percent in recent years. The reservation system doesn't account for the many people who drop in and find an empty court during off-peak hours.

"Its use has far exceeded any of the original expectations we had," Bellamy said. "I am so glad to see that the Tennis Center has become such a heavily utilized resource for the community.”

The 10,000th reservation also highlights the impact of the donors, organizations and community partners who helped turn the project from an idea into a regional resource in less than a year. What began as an effort to provide year-round recreational opportunities has become one of Thomas County's most-used facilities.

View the court schedule and make a reservation on the Colby Community College website at colbycc.edu/reserve.