Santa Barbara Tennis Patrons Invest in Pershing Park Court Improvements
By Jimmy Friery
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Following the 2026 Vaqueros Tennis season, some much-needed improvements were completed at the Pershing Park Courts thanks to a generous donation from the Santa Barbara Tennis Patrons. Executive Director Greg Tebbe celebrated the project's conclusion by being awarded a certificate of appreciation from the SBCC Athletics Department, presented by Danny Echt—head coach of the Men's program.
The courts' usage is shared with the public and both SBCC Tennis teams. Natural wear and tear raises periodic concern regarding athlete safety, court quality, and overall facility quality. The Tennis Patrons' most recent donation went towards resurfacing the courts, adding a fresh coat of paint, and other small but important improvements to the home of the Vaqueros.
Founded in 1971—the oldest community tennis association in California—the Tennis Patrons mission is "to support and grow the sport of tennis in Santa Barbara." Of many things, that includes investing in local tennis facilities like Pershing Park, among other public and private courts in town. The Tennis Patrons and Echt coordinated their efforts with the SBCC Foundation and City of Santa Barbara to see this project through.
Legendary coach Jack Sanford was just inducted into the Vaqueros Hall of Fame last month. Beginning 50 years of service at SBCC, he was the Men's program's coach during their inaugural 1965-66 season. The problem was that SBCC had no courts close to campus; they had to use the City's Municipal Courts until 1974. Then, the Pershing Park Courts became available, and the team reached the State Finals shortly after in 1978 before winning the 1989 State Championship.
Thus, gifts like this one from the Tennis Patrons are even more meaningful. Not only does it provide support to current SBCC student-athletes, it preserves the history of the Vaqueros' programs and secures the longevity of a competitive collegiate tennis experience in Santa Barbara.
The Tennis Patrons' work at Pershing Park goes beyond the Vaqueros Tennis teams, though. Each semester, two local elementary schools are selected to participate in the Tennis Patron's schools program, introducing approximately 60 students to the sport. Hosting this program—and other, competitive tournaments at Pershing—the organization has a wide impact on the community: "These new players not only learn the physical skills of the game, but also soft skills, such as resilience, critical thinking and teamwork that will help them on whatever path they choose for life." SBCC Tennis student-athletes participate as program volunteers, too, inspiring the next generation of Santa Barbara tennis players.
The 2026 Vaqueros Men's program sent two doubles teams to the 124th Ojai Tennis Tournament—the 3C2A State Championships—this past season, with Ludwig Chan and Loris Alem advancing to the round of 16. The Women's team went 15-2 in the regular season with Alice Guillaumond and Luccia Noel-Jungclaussen reaching the Ojai's singles quarterfinals and two doubles teams reaching the round of 16.
To learn more about the Santa Barbara Tennis Patrons, visit their website.