Cambridge players scrambling after GSM Tennis vacates Core rec … – CambridgeToday

When part owner Gabe Voros sold his share of the Core Recreation Complex to the Cheer Sport Sharks almost two years ago, he didn’t expect the ripple effect it would have on tennis in the area.

According to Voros, who was also an owner of GSM Tennis, which operated out of the New Dundee Road rec complex in Kitchener, his was one of a number of organizations forced to vacate the facility under the new ownership, leaving hundreds of players of all ages without a place to play or sitting on long waiting lists at other indoor tennis clubs.

GSM was under a one-year contract that was followed by a month-to-month agreement, Voros said. It officially left the facility on Sept. 30.

“GSM Tennis was basically kicked out by the sharks with no chance to stay,” Voros said.

“We were a certified Tennis Canada development centre, won the provincial U12, U13 and U14 team championships before COVID, had six employees, three of which were full time, 250 plus junior members, 100 adult members and 200 non members from the community that played regularly.”

When reached for comment about the process of GSM Tennis leaving the facility and what went into the decision, Cheer Sport Sharks, which used to operate in Cambridge before moving to Kitchener, said they have no comment on current or former tenants.

Voros said on such short notice it was difficult to find a new place to play.

At one point it was looking promising for a new location but development charge issues and classification of the potential building as a new build as opposed to a continuation shelved the idea. Despite the help of Mayor Jan Liggett, Voros and his team decided not to pursue it.

The impact of having to leave has been profound on players in the area, including Cambridge.

“We were already turning away at least two or three kids a week and at least that many adults, if not more, as we didn’t have room,” Voros said.

“Some of our members who tried to go to other clubs are at least 100th on the wait list to get in.”

Gordon Miller is one of those players who was a regular at the club’s winter programming.

“Now I have to go to Guelph,” Miller said.

“The problem is the distance and the courts are about 98 per cent full from open to close seven days a week.”

Miller said he plays once a week for an hour at Royal City Tennis Club, where as he was playing twice a week for two hours at Core.

He’s even attempted to take matters into his own hands by contacting the City of Cambridge and Tennis Clubs of Canada to find a solution.

One potential option, Miller believes, is to consider an arena like Karl Hommuth that could be repurposed after the Preston Auditorium construction in complete.

But for now, the wait continues.

“Of the registered members, many were juniors who were affected. Where do they go?” he said.

“That’s the main casualty.”