THE COLLEGES / IRENE GARCIA : Pierce Tennis Courts Not Exactly All They Are Cracked Up to Be

How would you like to play tennis on a court that has deep cracks, some so bad that chunks of concrete are missing from the surface?

You try to run down a ball and your foot gets caught. Ankle sprain.

When the ball hits a crack, it can do all sorts of weird things.

Just ask Pierce College tennis Coach Aris Hovsepian). The men’s team practices on the school’s warped courts three hours a day.

Hovsepian said many of the 13 courts had bearable hairline cracks before the Jan. 17 earthquake. The tremor’s powerful jolt, however, caused severe damage.

The old cracks are now huge and deep, and there’s an array of new ones.

“Players hate the fact that they have to practice on these courts,” Hovsepian said. “Every time they get on the court they’re gambling with their safety. Every time, I pray. Before practice I pray nothing happens to anybody and afterward I thank God nothing happened.”

But there have been some casualties.

Josh Goodley, who played No. 5 singles last season, suffered a twisted ankle when his foot hit a crack during practice. He was sidelined for about two weeks.

During a team workout about six months ago, Hovsepian’s foot got caught in a rift as he chased a ball. He fell hard and injured his knee.

“The pain is still there,” he said.

They are relatively minor incidents, but there is potential for more serious accidents.

The tennis team is not the only one to be affected by the earthquake. The school’s two gyms were also condemned, inconveniencing athletes who practice and compete in them.

The women’s volleyball team is practicing at Taft High, and the men’s team is conducting preseason workouts at the Balboa Park Recreation Center gym.

But the Pierce gyms are expected to be fixed by the beginning of next year. The bill should amount to about $1 million, according to school officials.

The tennis courts, however, will remain in their pathetic condition. The school has made no commitment to repair them.

One school official claimed earlier this week that the courts’ “superficial” cracks are not related to the earthquake and instead are a result of natural wear and tear.

“As far as I know they have been like that for a long time,” said Bob Garber, dean of student affairs. “The earthquake didn’t really hurt them.”

Pierce Athletic Director Marian McWilliams, a former women’s tennis coach, has no idea when or if the courts will be fixed.

She did admit that something should be done, though it’s not a pressing issue.

“They are not in good shape,” she said. “But they’re still being used.”

The bottom line, Hovsepian says, is, well, the bottom line. No one wants to pay for the repairs.

School officials asked him to get several estimates and the best he could find was $2,000 a court. All 13 need repairs.

Hovsepian said officials have yet to respond.

“Haven’t heard a thing,” he said. “I really don’t know what is going to happen.”

In the meantime, all he can do is dodge cracks and pray.

“When we host a match, the first thing we do is apologize before welcoming our opponent,” Hovsepian said. “All of them are very surprised we have such a good program and park level facilities. This team practices on some of the worst courts in California.”

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Despite poor training facilities, Pierce in 1993 continued its tradition as one of the country’s top junior college programs.

The Brahmas had a 22-2 record and placed second in the state.

Hovsepian says at least 10 coaches have phoned him inquiring about his team, which begins play in the spring.

“They ask ‘Who do you have this year? What does your team look like?’ ” he said.

Hovsepian played a joke on the curious coaches. He had a photo taken of his players with their backs to the camera.

In the middle of the group is a smiling Hovsepian facing the camera.

“I sent a photo to all of them,” Hovsepian said with a chuckle. “Let them wonder.”