AWD 3302: Project Files

Project 2

Student id: v27

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Tennis Court Building Initiative

  • Djordje Vlajkovic
  • 8/9/2016
  • Attention to: Boston City Council

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Background
  • Purpose
  • Approach
  • Feasibility
  • Conclusion
  • References

ltr_int

In Boston, there are a variety of public areas where one can choose to participate in sports. But for some sports, it is more difficult to find a place to play, tennis being one of them. Because of the lack of courts in the city and crowdedness of the existing courts, many people are unable to have the opportunity to play. This leaves many limited options on when and where they can play. The premise of this proposal[i.n.] to expand the number of tennis courts in the city, so that more individuals can have the opportunity to participate in the sport.

Background

In today's Boston, there are a few places where someone can go out and play a game of tennis[i.n.]. But from the already limited amounts of courts in the city and the courts that are owned by private facilities, there are not many options for the public to choose from[i.n.]. For the courts that are available to the public, they usually fill quickly and may be out of the way for some. These factors make it difficult for people to go out with a friend and play a game of tennis. With these kinds of existing issues, it seems unfair that the average person can't just go out and have a good time at the tennis courts without worrying about where or when to go. In the United States, tennis is a sport with smaller community that belongs to the very talented or those who are reasonably wealthy enough to afford the necessary equipment, lessons, and facilities that are usually required to play the sport. But for those individuals who do not have the luxury of falling into those categories, it leaves them from experiencing the sport.

Purpose

What we hope to achieve at the end of this project is to give the community more opportunities to play tennis[i.n.]. Looking ahead at the scheduling for this project, the expected time table would probably be over the course of a few months to half a year. If everything goes accordingly, the tennis courts should be ready by spring of next year. In terms of an overall objective, we are insisting on is building four to six tennis court sites throughout the Back Bay area[i.n.]why this area?. These courts would all be nicely furnished and reflect a high standard in condition. The benefits a project like this bring are: the reduction of crowded courts throughout the city, uptick in the amount of individuals playing tennis, convenience of location for many and increase in the opportunities to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Approach

The first step in the project would be getting the proposal approved by the city council. Once the project is green lit, we will come up with a budget of roughly $15 million to accommodate the tasks and resources that will be necessary to the completion of these tennis courts. Once receiving approval on the budget, the next phase would be to buy up areas around the city and get the proper legal paperwork that will enable us to work without any issues. From there, a construction company will be hired and begin work once all of the necessary documentation has been set in order. After construction is wrapped up, necessary precautions will be made to see that all safety regulations are met and that all of the courts meet regulation sizes.

Feasibility

One of the main obstacles to this project will be finding the right areas to build these courts. The first thing to make sure of would be building these courts away from other existing courts in the city[i.n.]. The other parameters for location would be finding a place in the city where it would be easily accessible for anyone. This means minimal traffic around the area and multiple entrances and exits. The main obstacle that will come with building these courts will be obtaining the necessary zoning and construction permits[i.n.]. But if we can find the right area to build and meet all of the requirements given by the city, this project will be possible.[i.n.]

Conclusion

Building these courts will give people throughout the city[i.n.] more chances to play tennis and introduce others to the sport. It will provide many with a more convenient locations and give people who may have lacked the opportunity before to play. This project will also give people another way to stay active and maintain a healthier lifestyle. Lastly it will lead to a resurgence in the popularity of tennis as a sport in Boston. Overall this opportunity will lead to renaissance for tennis within the community and give opportunities for many to play whenever.[i.n.]

References

Lawrence, Merlisa. "Why Is American Tennis Dying?" Bleacher Report. N.p., 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Aug. 2016.

Sopher, Philip. "Explaining the U.S. Tennis Slump." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 22 Aug. 2014. Web. 01 Aug. 2016.

"Tennis Court Construction Basics." Tennis Court and Play Court Construction Basics, Dimensions. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Aug. 2016.

Peer review

This proposal suggests that the sport of tennis is not easily accessible for many citizens of Boston as a result of a variety of economic, cultural and logistical factors that have resulted in the sport only being enjoyed by a select group of the population. It mainly focused on the logistical fact that there are not enough public courts in the city, which has prevented many people from having a chance to try the sport of tennis as there are no courts close enough to their neighborhoods and the ones that do exist are overcrowded.

This proposal contains the necessary information and content of the genre but can be improved upon by the addition of additional details in the approach and feasibility sections. By adding detail to the expected costs of the project and which areas of the city would benefit most from the construction of tennis courts, the project would have more depth of analysis by highlighting the benefits the addition courts could provide. You state, "The other parameters for location would be finding a place in the city where it would be easily accessible by anyone, having minimal traffic around the area, and having it in a safer area." What specific areas in the city meet this criteria and why are these three things important to the success of the project. I believe some further discussion of this aspect of the project would greatly contribute to the strength of your argument.

At certain times in the proposal, specifically in the introduction and background, the sentences do not flow well from one to another. Simply, there are many times when a sentence ends rather abruptly, and the next sentence starts with the word but or and, adding a qualifying statement for the sentence prior. By combining the sentences that relate to each other, the document will flow better and reduce unnecessary verbiage. Additionally, the sentences in this proposal are mostly passive statements, using phases like "probably would", "but if we" and so on. The genre of a proposal is at its most basic level a call to action, and using passive words weaken the argument by introducing some uncertainty into the situation. In the conclusion, you switch to using statements like "this project will" which gives the proposal a more powerful and convincing tone and I think you can use more of this throughout the document.

One final suggestions is to perform some additional proofreading, specifically for grammar throughout the document. There are some sentences that word things awkwardly. This draft of a proposal is a strong start that could benefit with some additional information to expand upon the approach and benefits of implementation, and some editing to improve the flow of the proposal.

Instructor Note

There is a lot going well here. I think the topic and audience make sense for the genre. I think, on the whole, I would have liked to have seen a bit more justification for the specific proposal: why tennis and not some other sport? why Back Bay and not, perhaps, some less affluent neighborhoods? Pay close attention to the notes I added above in-text. Good work here.