Elizabeth, N.J. Honors Hampton University Alum Art Carrington With New Tennis and Pickleball Complex

The City of Elizabeth broke ground March 9 on the Arthur Carrington Tennis and Pickleball Complex, a new outdoor facility built in partnership with Union County and named for one of New Jersey tennis's most enduring figures.

Arthur "Art" Carrington is an Elizabeth native, Hampton University tennis great, and historian whose decades of coaching helped shape the sport across the state. The outdoor complex bearing his name will eventually serve as the home courts for Elizabeth's varsity tennis teams, giving the facility a permanent role in the city's athletic future.

Carrington, who goes by @carrington_tennis on Instagram, acknowledged the ceremony in a Facebook post that captured the weight of the moment. "Mr Carrington extends his heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make this milestone possible, and to all who traveled from near and far to join in celebrating such a meaningful and momentous occasion," he wrote.

The groundbreaking took place on what was described as a sunny Monday afternoon, with supporters traveling from near and far to mark the occasion. The project represents a formal recognition by the city of the coaching career Carrington built over a lifetime, one that, as 10sBalls.com noted, saw him plant tennis roots across New Jersey and help countless beginners develop into serious players.

The dedication that accompanied the groundbreaking named the courts specifically in honor of Carrington, a Hampton University tennis great and historian whose broader body of work in chronicling the sport has made him a significant figure beyond the court.

For a pickleball community that increasingly shares facilities, funding, and purpose with tennis programs, the Carrington Complex represents exactly the kind of infrastructure investment that lifts both sports. An outdoor facility tied to a school varsity program creates a pipeline: young athletes learning the game on courts that carry the name of a man who spent his career doing precisely that.