![\"Anya](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ENA-L-SDATENNISACCESS-01.jpg\")
Anya Sherin was disappointed to find the SDA tennis courts locked. Her dad Jeff Sherin is the founder of SDA Tennis Access. (Jeff Sherin)<\/p>\nAn Encinitas dad is leading an effort to open up the tennis courts at San Dieguito High School Academy to the public.<\/p>\n
Over the years, Jeff Sherin has struggled to find courts in Encinitas to play with his friends but his mission was amplified by his nine-year-old daughter Anya getting older and wanting to play tennis with her dad. Tennis court time is at a premium in Encinitas\u2014he said Moonlight Beach Park, Cottonwood Creek Park and Bobby Riggs have all converted to pickleball and while Glen Park has one tennis court, it usually has a long wait to play. On a recent trip to Glen Park, a lesson was in session and four groups were in line to play next.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe live about three blocks away from SDA and they have six beautiful courts that are locked,\u201d said Sherin. \u201cIt\u2019s sad to see the courts sit unused every weekend and throughout the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherin has gotten serious about his efforts, conducting research to find solutions and starting the SDA Tennis Access website and Instagram to raise awareness. In June, he pled his case to the San Dieguito Union School District board during public comment and plans to present at the Encinitas Parks and Recreation Commission\u2019s Aug. 18 session.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy whole thing is just to keep it positive; there\u2019s no villain,\u201d Sherin said. \u201cMy goal is to offer solutions and a path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his research, he has found that other communities have made public use of high school courts work, such as Carlsbad, Mission Bay and La Jolla, where he has often played on the La Jolla High\u2019s courts. A prestigious program, the La Jolla High boys team has won more titles than any in the city (41), and yet their courts still remain open to all. Torrey Pines took the title this year.<\/p>\n
Sherin believes that school use should always come first, but his proposal is a joint use agreement between the city of Encinitas and the district like the one that exists between Carlsbad Unified and the city of Carlsbad. In Carlsbad, the agreement allows the city to reserve the use of school athletic facilities like the high school tennis courts in exchange for the city performing the ongoing routine maintenance.<\/p>\n
Anya Sherin was disappointed to find the SDA tennis courts locked. Her dad Jeff Sherin is the founder of SDA Tennis Access. (Jeff Sherin)<\/p>\n
In one option for managing the use, a school district or parks and rec staff member could be budgeted to unlock and lock the courts on weekends and weekday nights when not in use by the school. Sherin said SDA\u2019s tennis courts are perfectly situated for this kind of agreement, located near the edge of campus and accessible from the street so public use wouldn\u2019t require people to walk through the school campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first points of friction are people saying they\u2019re locked because people are going to destroy the courts with skateboards, etcetera. There are genuine issues, but these problems have been solved and mitigated elsewhere,\u201d Sherin said.<\/p>\n
The issue of opening up San Dieguito schools\u2019 courts has come up several times over the years, at schools such as Canyon Crest Academy and Torrey Pines. About 10 years ago, a former SDUHSD superintendent referenced that there used to be a longtime joint use agreement with the city of Encinitas to use the SDA courts, however, the city examined its files and found no such agreement and the Encinitas Parks Recreation and Cultural Arts Department staff was not aware of any agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognize the interest in making school facilities available to the broader community when\u00a0that\u00a0can be done safely and responsibly,\u201d said Edwin Mendoza, SDUHSD communications coordinator. \u201cAt this time, no SDUHSD athletic facilities, including tennis courts, are open for free, unsupervised public use. Understandably, there are safety and operational considerations associated with allowing unsupervised public access to a school facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Members of the public, as well as community organizations and agencies, can use\u00a0district facilities through a facility use agreement using the district\u2019s Facilitron system. When a facility is rented,\u00a0there are costs associated with its use, which\u00a0may include staffing to support the facility\u2019s use and help ensure the site is properly secured afterward, Mendoza said.<\/p>\n
While that system may work for camps and clinics, Sherin said that doesn\u2019t solve the problem of a dad and his daughter wanting to play a little impromptu tennis together in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n