The renovation of the tennis courts has been underway since February 2020. The project has been in progress for a total of a year and nine months. Although it has been a long and complicated process, the East tennis teams and the Cherry Hill community will soon be able to enjoy the new and improved courts for years to come.
Michael Beirao, the Director of Athletics, overlooks all of the athletic activities within the Cherry Hill school district. He is responsible for the operation and implementation of these activities from the hiring of coaches and staff, to scheduling events, working out transportations, and maintaining the facilities.
“There are a lot of things that go into putting on an athletic event that people don’t realize and there is a cost associated with it,” said Beirao, “but it’s really great work.”
When it comes to the tennis courts, it has been taking longer than anticipated. The plan is to install a new drainage system that goes all the way around the courts to help drain the water off.

The courts were supposed to be completed before September 2, however, the progress took a setback because of supply chain issues around the world due to Covid. Covid had slowed down the delivery of certain supplies. The fencing, the four-inch posts, the gates, and the concrete were all in, but because of the supply issues the contractors did not have the corner posts. Once they came in, the construction resumed on September 30th. Beirao is hopeful that the tennis courts will be completed this fall.
“Right now our biggest enemy is the temperature,” said Beirao, “If it begins to get too cold below 50 degrees, they are going to have to wait and paint the courts in the early spring.”
The renovation of the tennis courts is a real investment costing close to half a million dollars. The new courts will have an asphalt surface, very similar to how the courts are at Eastern Regional High School and are expected to last for 20-25 years. As for the time of completion, the courts will be ready by this coming spring for the boy’s tennis season.
“It is a worthwhile investment because our kids deserve to have the best facilities available,” said Beirao, “Athletics is a real sense of pride here and we are excited for the project to be completed.”