Riverside Park from Roger Cox’s Perspective
“Where do you play on red clay?” I’m often asked by people who have noticed the rusty, salmony cast to my originally white tennis shoes. The answer tends to provoke disbelief: “In Riverside Park in New York City,” I tell them.
Those of us who play tennis in New York City are lucky to have hundreds of public courts in parks across all five boroughs. But those in Riverside Park stand out: not only are these the only public red-clay courts in the city, but these are also the most picturesquely set. This complex of 10 red-clay courts borders the Hudson River—close enough that a framed miss-hit can end up in the water. On three sides players are surrounded by grass, trees, and community-maintained flower gardens. As extraordinary as the red clay is, it was almost not here at all.
The History of Riverside Park
Back in the 1980s, these were known disparagingly as “the sand courts.” The city admitted that it had failed to maintain them and proposed replacing them with hard courts, but a group of local players, enamored by soft courts, rebelled and ultimately convinced the city to let them help maintain them. To do so, they formed the non-profit Riverside Clay Tennis Association to recruit and organize volunteers and help raise money. So successful were their efforts that this remarkable facility became a model of public-private partnership. Yannick Noah played here when he lived in the city, and so did Tim Mayotte, who was also on the board.
Volunteers are no longer needed to help scarify the courts or spread new clay and top dressing at the beginning of each season—professionals and paid staff now take care of that— but the courts still foster a sense of community. A call goes out each spring to help nail down lines, and volunteers handle signups for the courts and maintain the gardens. Players are asked to sweep their court when they finish so everyone starts with a freshly swept court. We—I’m a member of the association—expected backlash when that rule was established; instead, it fostered a sense of pride in the quality of the playing experience and helped people feel they had a stake in the courts.
Programming Along the River
Like many facilities, the association offers group and private lessons, Cardio tennis, seasonal camps for adults and juniors, and a series of tournaments. It also runs an adaptive tennis program manned by volunteers and funded by the Junior Tennis Foundation. Though tennis is its first love, it also strives to be a good neighbor. There are free concerts on the lawn for 10 Saturdays each summer with a backdrop of sunset across the river. There are occasional barbecues, with the association shelling out for burgers and chicken and encouraging anyone who joins in to bring something to share. And on Friday of this year, there will be a big screen set up on Friday night to air the U.S. Open men’s semifinal.
So, yes, this is where I stained my white tennis shoes and socks red. But, more than that, these are my neighborhood courts. It’s where I met many of my friends. If you’d like to say hi, I man the check-in desk every Saturday morning from 9 to 11. Bring your racquet, and come play. Whether you wear white shoes or not is up to you.
