In sports, there can be something reassuring about the idea of playing on one’s own turf. However, this reassurance is threatened for the boys and girls tennis teams this season.

The teams typically practice and play home matches at a set of tennis courts at Waldstein Park on Dean Road. According to boys head coach Nick Pero, however, the teams will possibly not be able to use the courts for part of the season due to renovations to the entire park occurring this spring.

“They’re revamping the entire area,” Pero said. “They’re digging out all the tennis courts. There’s eight currently, and they’re putting in seven brand new ones.”

Until the replacement is complete, however, tennis players will have to practice elsewhere. In addition to the courts at Waldstein, the girls team has access to courts at Eliot Park, and the boys team has access to courts at Lawrence school, according to Pero.

The teams currently use the Waldstein courts, and will be able to through March and April. Pero said the Town of Brookline has not decided on the exact date that renovations will begin.

According to junior varsity coach Tim McIvor, there were similar plans last year, but renovations were postponed to this year. He said there was a possibility that this would occur again.

“It could in May, but for now I’m not worried,” McIvor said.

Senior Agnes Park said that besides the inconvenience of having to practice at a more distant court, the main difference between practicing at Eliot and Waldstein is space. There are only three courts at Eliot, so the girls team has to take turns playing.

“I think generally we have a lot of JV players playing, but I think now, varsity players will be pushed to play a little bit more, take over the courts more than usual,” Park said.

Park said ideally this change would have a minimal effect on the junior varsity team.

“I’m really hoping that JV still gets to play a lot because they’re going to become varsity in the next coming years,” Park said.

The entire boys team is the same size that it was last year, according to Pero.In order to allow all players on the boys team to have ample practice time, Pero said the team might begin to stagger practices between junior varsity and varsity.

“It shouldn’t really have much of an effect. You have to be flexible as a student and as a student-athlete,” Pero said. “All this would mean is that you start practice about an hour later and you finish about an hour later. If you look at it that way, it’s really just a change in mindset. It shouldn’t be a big deal at all.”

Senior Elijah Comerchero said that even if the junior varsity and varsity teams stop practicing together, the teams will still have chances during matches and on bus rides to spend time together.

According to Pero, if the team loses access to the Waldstein courts in May, they will have matches at Baker, where there are five consecutive courts.

McIvor said that the team might have to have more away matches than they have had in the past.

Despite the potential obstacle, Comerchero had a positive outlook for the season.

“We always have a strong team. We lost a couple kids last year, but we know we still have a strong team going into the season, and we look to go pretty far,” Comerchero said.

According to Pero, although the teams may have to be “creative” in their practices, the loss of the Waldstein courts will not have crushing ramifications.

“Tennis is one of those sports where as long as you’re hitting every day and you’re getting some match experience every day, it should be fine,” Pero said.

Both on and off the court, the team is dedicated to improve. According to McIvor, the team is increasing its online presence by creating a website and a video. McIvor said the team, defending champions from last year, is just as strong.

“To any players on opposing teams reading this,” McIvor said, “You better watch out.”

Kate Finnerty can be contacted at [email protected].