Pali’s girls tennis teams were left without courts to practice on and proper equipment following the Palisades Fire. The members of the varsity team set up a zoom meeting on Aug. 28 with the Palisades Park Advisory Board (PAB) to advocate for a temporary practice area and new equipment. 

Prior to the fires, the team practiced at the Pali High campus’ tennis courts and the Palisades Recreation Center. The Pali High courts were damaged during the fire and have not been cleared by Los Angeles Unified School District to be used for practices until at least January 2026, according to varsity head coach Robert Silvers. 

Athletes from the varsity team spoke in a Zoom meeting in regards to how not being able to practice at the Palisades Recreation Center affected them. Silvers emphasized the importance of having the athletes speak at the meeting.

“I can’t stress enough that the girls on this team really pulled through in that meeting,” Silvers said. “That made a big difference.” 

Silvers said that the meeting consisted of athletes, parents, numerous members of the PAB, Palisades Branch library representative Cameron Pfizenmaier, Palisades Park Director Jasmine Dowlatshahi and General Manager of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Jimmy Kim. 

Now, the junior varsity (JV) team practices are held at the Rustic Canyon Recreation Center, which is about three miles from Pali South. As a result of their efforts at the Zoom meeting, the varsity team is now able to practice in the Palisades at the Palisades Recreation Center. 

However, Silvers said the team is now facing a new challenge: The temporary Palisades Library could be placed on the lower tennis courts.

Senior Anne Kelly, a member of the Varsity team, felt that the city wasn’t being honest. 

“We feel that we are being deceived with what the city is telling us, and being told we cannot play, it feels like our needs as kids are being dismissed,” said Kelly, who was among the athletes who spoke during the public meeting.

“The courts at the Rec Center are the one familiar place left to us, where we’ve practiced for years and won championships,” Kelly said.

The decision of whether the Palisades Recreation Center courts should be used as a temporary library or remain as a practice space for Pali girls tennis teams has not yet been made. 

Beyond the lack of practice locations, the team also faced issues regarding access to resources.  Donations from sports supply stores helped replace lost and damaged equipment, Silvers said. One of their main donors was the tennis company Balobat, who donated shoes, rackets and tennis balls. The Tennis Warehouse also donated tennis balls, nets, net cords and uniforms.

Silvers concluded that the challenges the athletes faced helped them grow as players and people since they had to advocate for their new practice locations and equipment.

“This has made them a stronger team [since] they’ve had to fight for everything that they’ve got.