FARMINGTON – Kelly Greene’s father, Bob, started teaching her tennis when she was a child by hitting a balloon with a Ping-Pong paddle in the house.

She progressed to a small racket, then a larger one and the coaching continued on the court.

The 16-year-old Farmington junior is now on the Mt. Blue High School tennis team and is a scholar athlete.

Her father is spearheading an effort to build four tennis courts behind at the school. It’s the only Class A school in Maine without its own tennis courts, said Bob Greene of Rangeley.

He discovered the school didn’t have courts when his daughter made the high school team and he was given directions to her practice in Wilton. He nearly ended up in Carthage before he realized he missed the turn to Kineowatha Park courts in Wilton.

So, now, he envisions creating partnerships to do something about that.

Greene, tennis director at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in Dixville Notch, N.H., set about looking into building courts at the school.

He received the go-ahead from SAD 9 administrators and school directors, knowing there was no money in the budget to build the courts, but with permission to build on school property.

On Wednesday, the Greenes stood on the land that will be the future tennis courts behind the Foster Regional Applied Technology Center wing, which is connected to the high school.

The project is estimated to cost $250,000, Greene said, including site work and lights.

The tech center’s wood harvesting students have cleared some of the area already.

“It’s a perfect spot,” Bob Greene said.

Greene is seeking grants and donations. He was awarded a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Tennis Association, New England section, but must get $50,000 in matching funds to receive it.

There are a couple of other grants he’s going after, including one from a federal physical education program and another from the national U.S. Tennis Association. The association also has grants available to provide tennis equipment.

“So we’re off to a good start,” Greene said.

Brent Tripp, owner of Tripp Electric in Farmington, has stepped forward and volunteered labor and lighting materials, and Bruce Manzer, owner of a paving company in Anson, wants to get involved in project, Greene said.

Kevin Vining, another Farmington contractor, has also been lending a hand with site work, he said.

Greene will be talking with organizations and individuals around the area to seek donations.

“The concept for the project really goes beyond the high school tennis team,” Greene said.

The courts will be available to the community, too.

“Tennis is a good thing,” Greene said. He got involved with it as a teenager. According to medical studies, he said, tennis is the No. 1 sport for cardiovascular health.

“Boy, I’ll tell you, when you hit a tennis ball the right way, it sends a signal,” Greene said. “It feels good. It challenges your physical and mental skills and is also a great lifetime sport.”

Tennis as a sport also builds a lot of human quality traits, he said. It’s a good family sport that combines, fun, fitness, family and friends, Greene said.

He is hoping to get the project completed before his daughter graduates.

“I think we’re optimistic. We’ll spend this winter trying to raise funds and we might have them ready by fall 2007.”