The Town of Carrboro has given its approval for a new tennis backboard to be installed at Wilson Park, but it's up to the community's generosity, spirit and a bit of innovative fundraising by members of the Carrboro Parks Project to see that the plans come to fruition.

While the proposed tennis backboard will make it easier to practice at Wilson Park, enthusiasts can start Saturday with an inexpensive tennis lesson at the Wilson Park Courts. All proceeds benefit the tennis backboard fund.

"A backboard is something that some of the greatest tennis players have used to improve their games when they were younger," says tennis instructor Ron Rudin, who will lead Saturday's sessions at Wilson Park.

Lessons for youths ages 6-12 will run 9:15-10 a.m., adult-beginner and advanced-beginner lessons will be 10:15-11 a.m., and from 11:15 to noon, assorted lessons will be offered to children, parents, adult beginners and intermediates. Lessons are $10 for the first student and $5 for each additional family member.

"You can get a lot of practice in a fast amount of time," Rudin says of the backboard. "You can practice your strokes without worrying about other parts of the game. It has tremendous advantages."

Backboards, such as the vine-covered concrete standing forsaken behind the Eddie Smith Field House on the UNC campus, can be invaluable to perfecting one's game.

"I see people going out and trying to work on their game alone, and they can practice their serves some, but without a wall, it's just tough to do," Rudin says.

One of the founding board members of the Carrboro Parks Project, Laurie Weakley was surprised by the importance, and the value, of backboards.

"The last one we looked at was $3,700," she said. "From what I hear, it's a great board, though. It will have a 20-year warranty and minimal maintenance."

What's the big idea?

The Carrboro Parks Project was formed out of Carrboro's 1999 purchase of land that would become Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The Board of Aldermen commissioned a committee of citizens to investigate fundraising opportunities.

Wendell Rogers of Carrboro Recreation and Parks noted that a private citizen got the ball rolling toward Wilson Park. Weakley said that the CPP, incorporated as a nonprofit organization in September 2001, is a driving force that transforms good ideas like the backboard into realities.

"People show up with things that they're passionate about," she said, "but they're too small to do it on their own. The town knows this, and they trust the Carrboro Parks Project. ...

"We just shepherd things along. It's the commission that gives projects credence. But if we approach businesses, we can show them a letter from the town that says, 'We know these people, and we've approved this particular project.' That helps a lot."

The 10-by-12 foot backboard represents the third such endeavor undertaken by CPP. The first was the installation of a fence around the non-leash dog park within Anderson Park in northwestern Carrboro.

"We started with the dog park because it was a small community group that had tried it and had not succeeded," Weakley said.

With some help from the town of Carrboro, CPP made good on its first effort, raising $5,000 toward the fence that keeps dogs from wandering out of the park into nearby roadways.

CPP's second project was a shade sail to cover the toddlers' playground at the Carrboro Town Commons.

"I don't have a dog, I don't have kids, and I don't play tennis, but it doesn't matter," Weakley noted, laughing. "Who knows what project number four will be? It's just nice to work with different groups of people."

Rogers said that Weakley's hard work and the CPP's success have been a boon to Carrboro.

"A lot of the things she's done so far -- the amenities she's helped to have added to the parks and everything -- have really benefited our department," Rogers said.

Fourth-coming

Weakley said there was no consensus yet as to what might constitute the CPP's next and fourth project on behalf of the town.

"There are some people who would like to see a drinking fountain for people and for dogs at the (Carrboro) dog park," she said, "and others would like to add another panel to this backboard-it could just keep getting bigger."

In the meantime, however, Weakley, an original CPP member, is more concerned with fatigue among her fellow committee members.

"The original model was to have folks come on board for two projects-the one they were passionate about, then one additional project, and then they'd be phased off," she explained, laughing. "I sort of imagined this rotation, but it hasn't worked out that way.

"We're sort of strapped for people," she added. "We only have four people on our board: we've always been small, and that's fine, but there's a risk of burnout. We're definitely looking for more volunteers."

Weakley said that the contiguous group has had a lot of help from the community. A cookout at Weaver Street Market in June already earned about $500 for the backboard.

"People come along and help with things like that," she said. "We try to partner with people-the Chapel Hill Mothers Club was very helpful with the shade sail. The Durham-Orange County Tennis Association will be a big help with the backboard."

Weakley suggested that anyone interested in donating direction to the cause could send a check to the Carrboro Parks Project, P.O. Box 1083, Carrboro, 27510. All donations are tax deductible and all donated funds go towards the new backboard.

Weakley speaks in terms of the successful funding of the tennis backboard not in terms of "what might be" but "what will be."

"Won't it be amazing?" she asks.

That good news will have local tennis fans bouncing off the wall.