enlarge your tennis – Liberation

The dilapidated outdoor municipal tennis court, a remnant of an 1980s program to democratize the sport, is a staple of rural townships. The practice is now concentrated towards clubs and private structures, leaving the grounds more or less abandoned.

The place is quiet, almost narcotic. In Metzeresche, a town of 950 inhabitants north of the Moselle, 30 kilometers from Metz, the municipal outdoor tennis court is neglected. Its jagged net and dusty coating make it impossible to practice properly. The little yellow ball no longer bounces. The noises of impacts on the hard do not come to disturb the afternoon tanning of the neighborhood, in this stifling Friday of August. Only the din of motorbikes and quads passing by ruins the relaxing potential of the place, located at the entrance to the town.

Are we making a mistake by saying that the dilapidated outdoor municipal tennis court is a must in our villages, one of the mascots of rurality? A tour of other local towns reinforces the idea. In Hombourg-Budange, 545 inhabitants, behind a brand new city-stadium, the coating of the tennis court is holed. Further on, in Uckange, vegetation has taken over the three outdoor courts, with the city’s large blast furnace in the background.

“In the area, not many people play anymore”

The town of Luttange, 900 inhabitants, stands out. The village itself has an amazing beach area… «Handball !» launches on the edge of the sand, Paul-André Bauer, mayor since 2020. A beach-handball court – yes –, built in the spring instead of a tennis court. “It was dilapidated and in poor condition, details the elected. To give you an example, since I became mayor, I have had only one request to renovate …