By Amelia Bickel
News Co-Editor
Impossible to miss from the upperclassmen side of Washington College, construction of the Lim Family Tennis Center started Nov. 2025. According to Project Manager Vic Costa, the indoor Tennis Center is currently on track to finish by the end of Dec. 2026.
Six outdoor pickleball courts, located next to the center, are set to be completed in October 2026.
Designed by Nowland Associates from Newark, Del., the project was made possible by a generous donation from Ann and Jim Lim. Costa stated that the indoor tennis center will include six indoor courts, a viewing area, bathrooms, and an office.
Construction of the facility represents a milestone for the College’s athletic programs.
“The Lim Tennis facility alongside the existing Schottland Tennis Center give Washington College some of the best facilities in the country in any division,” Head Tennis Coach and Director Constantine Ananiadis said. “Certainly within D-III but a lot of D-I programs would give anything to have either of those two facilities on their campus, let alone both!”
The new facility will be a ‘game changer’ in terms of both recruiting and player development, Ananiadis said.
Ananiadis looks forward to not only the facility’s benefit to the College’s tennis teams, but also to the opportunity to expand the tennis community on campus.
“I’m teaching a tennis class this semester and have established programming for both adults and kids that are incredibly well received by the local community,” Ananiadis said.
He also hopes to take advantage of the additional court option to establish a Club Tennis team which, despite having attracted interest, “has been really hard to get off the ground…in the past due to the lack of court availability in the [Johnson Fitness Center] in the months of Nov.-Mar.”
The outdoor pickleball courts will give campus community another recreational and exercise opportunity, but specific details are still pending.
“In the meantime, Washington College currently has two indoor pickleball courts in the back of Cain Gym, along with paddles and balls,” Coordinator of Campus Recreation Steven Kaneshiki said. “Students, faculty and staff can use the courts and equipment for free play when varsity practices or special events are not taking place.”
The Tennis Center is also a demonstration of the College’s broader mission to improve enrollment and the student experience, goals spearheaded by President Dr. Bryan Matthews ’75.
“[The Lim Family Tennis Center] aligns perfectly with our goal to enhance the student experience, strengthen our ties to the Chestertown community, and solidify our reputation as a regional destination for excellence — in both academics and athletics,” Matthews said, according to coverage of the project’s groundbreaking on the College’s website. “We are profoundly grateful to Ann and Jim for their extraordinary generosity in making this vision a reality.”
Photo Caption: Indoor Tennis Center construction set to finish in winter.
Photo by Amelia Bickel