Austin Tennis Center

The thuds of thunderous groundstrokes and the squeaks of shuffling feet resonate across the outdoor court complex at Austin Tennis Center. The hard, deep-blue surface hosts adult and junior tennis clinics and drills on its collection of regulation courts, and the 36-foot Quick-Start courts are scaled down for kids age 10 and under and lethargic ballboys.

Director of Tennis Lincoln Ward shapes the Center's curriculum, drawing from an instructional career that spans more than a decade and includes a stint as head coach of the Concordia University tennis team. Pupils at various levels have won city and state championships thanks to his thoughtful coaching. He's also initiated a free, afterschool tennis program that has caught on at more than 30 elementary and middle schools in the Austin area.