The oddly controversial proposal to build eight clay tennis courts in Saanich can be distilled down to a single word: safety.
There are many other reasons to celebrate the arrival of the first clay-court facility on the Island, but fewer injuries to players is paramount.
Tennis is one of the country鈥檚 fastest growing sports, played by more than five million men and women of all backgrounds, including pre-school children, people in wheelchairs and seniors in their 80s.
Besides a good workout, the allure of tennis comes from a well-hit ball, an experience you might have three or four times in a baseball game but hundreds of times in a tennis match.
But in this region, public courts are surfaced with asphalt or concrete, and the pounding the body takes playing on these hard courts often leads to pain and injury in the feet, knees and other parts of the body, especially among older players.
A generation or so ago, people would run and jog on hard surfaces, mostly streets and sidewalks. Cities, towns and schools recognized this constant contact with pavement was bad for the body, and built chip trails and other forgiving running surfaces. Nowadays, nearly every runner can exercise or compete on softer surfaces, helping to avoid injuries.
So is playing tennis on hard courts just like running on pavement, in terms of the negative effects on the body of an hour or two of play? No, it鈥檚 much worse, because tennis involves many sudden stops and starts, lateral movements, twists, turns and leaps.
Clay, by comparison, is a forgiving surface, soft and cushiony compared with asphalt. And on clay, you can slide to break the impact of a quick stop.
My own experience is that an hour or more on a hard court can lead to pain in the legs or back the next day, and longer-term injuries if the sport is played on a regular basis. Three hours on a clay surface 鈥� played away from home, of course 鈥� leaves no residue of pain or discomfort.
Injuries on asphalt and concrete courts are nearly seven times more frequent than on clay, according to a review of studies of six different tennis surfaces conducted in 2003 by Dr. Benno Nigg, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Calgary.
And in the words of the top-ranked player in the world, Rafael Nadal of Spain, a clay-court aficionado: 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 watch footballers playing on a hard surface, or basketball players, those sports with rapid movements 鈥� hard courts are very negative for the body.鈥�
To earn the many millions he makes every year, Nadal must play on hard courts. For spectators, it鈥檚 a faster and more exciting game, and Nadal has had more than his share of injuries.
But for the thousands of recreational players in our region, especially seniors and children whose bodies are still forming, there should be alternatives available.
In many ways, Greater Victoria is the best place in the country to play tennis due to our climate and the wide availability of municipal courts throughout the region.
It has held this status for many years, but now it鈥檚 long past time to take the next step and provide for a safer option.
The proposal in Saanich has been put forward by a group of citizens who formed a non-profit society to build the clay courts behind the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre in partnership with the municipality.
The eight-court complex would be unique not only to the Island, but to all of Western Canada, and would be available for public as well as membership use, and for training for youth and school groups. It could also make Saanich a regional tennis hub as a training and event centre for competitive players.
After lengthy and sometimes acrimonious debate on the issue, the final council meeting to give people their say on the project is scheduled for this Saturday.
At a meeting last week, neighbours decried the proposed change to the current use 鈥� open park space, often soggy in winter, and a rarely used ball field. Many said they don鈥檛 oppose new courts, they just want them elsewhere, not across the field from their own backyards.
But if the project goes ahead, these people may find themselves living in one of the most desirable areas in the region, as their children, grandchildren or even they themselves walk across that field to enjoy a fine game played on a safer surface.
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Sid Tafler is a Victoria writer and editor, and a recreational tennis player.
