1st Serve Revival

Former YMCA Courts Return with a Fresh Mission & Heart for Community

Writer / Lauren Byrd
Photographer / Ethan Snyder

This fall, Muncie welcomes back an old friend with a new name and renewed purpose. The former YMCA facility has been reimagined as 1st Serve Muncie Racquet Club, led by local tennis advocate and coach Jini Goff Morgan. With a focus on community access, youth growth and servant leadership, the new facility is more than a comeback — it’s a catalyst.

For Morgan, the story of 1st Serve began not with grand plans, but with a quiet moment: a young mother peering through the tennis court windows at the YMCA, watching seasoned players volley back and forth.

“If they can do it, I can do it,” she remembers thinking. It took one invitation to step onto the court — and she was hooked.

What began as curiosity evolved into competition, then community. Morgan progressed from a recreational player to competing in Nationals, serving on a United States Tennis Association (USTA) board, coaching at Yorktown High School and Taylor University, and eventually working with a sports development company in Indianapolis. Yet, her heart never left Muncie — or her passion for making tennis accessible to everyone.

Reclaiming the Court

The building that once hosted generations of players and friendships closed its doors to the public before the YMCA moved downtown into a brand-new facility. Owned by Ball State University, the building has continued to be used for its Division I tennis programs, but the community it served was left without a place to play. The new YMCA does not have tennis courts.

That changed on July 3, when Morgan officially took the keys to the building, signing a lease to launch 1st Serve — a new name, a new mission, but a familiar heartbeat.

With renovations underway, Morgan reopened the facility in mid-August with a soft launch focused on welcoming back familiar faces. A full grand opening is planned for October, offering a refreshed space for players and the broader community.

Building for Community, Not Just Competition

The facility is open seven days a week, with extended hours until 10 p.m. on select days, ensuring broad access for students, working adults and families. Membership will be offered through an affordable, tiered annual fee structure based on age and family size, along with hourly court usage fees.

The vision for 1st Serve is ambitious. In its initial phase, the plan includes eight tennis courts, four pickleball courts and a revitalized pro shop stocked through a partnership with the Indianapolis Racquet Club. A USTA grant is also in the works to fund lighting and ceiling upgrades, ensuring the facility isn’t just functional — it’s competitive.

But beyond infrastructure, the philosophy is rooted in accessibility and community.

“Tennis is a sport for life,” Morgan says. “Anyone can play, and anyone can come back to it.”

Morgan hopes to develop middle school programs, rehabilitate disused public courts and create coaching pipelines for Northside and Southside middle schools — areas historically underserved in tennis. By leveraging USTA partnerships, she’s securing equipment, training and support to build sustainable programming.

Behind the Name

The name 1st Serve holds a dual meaning: one drawn from tennis, the other from philosophy.

“It’s about service,” Morgan says. “How do we serve our members, our community and the next generation of athletes?”

Morgan hopes the club becomes more than a place to play — a hub for holistic development. Plans are in place to eventually incorporate strength training and nutrition programming for athletes of all ages.

She also envisions a coffee lounge in the front of the facility — “a space that invites conversation, where the community can gather, watch matches or just sit and share stories,” much like the church groups and community meetings once held there when it was the YMCA.

A Community Asset — Past, Present & Future

For Muncie local Neil Behrman, part of a tennis-enthusiast family, the reopening under 1st Serve management is more than welcome news — it’s a revival.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for both the regional tennis community and the broader Muncie community,” he says.

Behrman points to the area’s rich tennis history, with schools like Delta, Yorktown and Mississinewa consistently producing state qualifiers and champions over the past two decades.

“The ability to practice year-round, without driving to Indy or paying Indy prices, is a tremendous asset,” he adds. “This kind of access strengthens local programs and keeps tennis competitive in our region.”

Beyond the sports themselves, Behrman emphasized the facility’s broader economic and cultural potential. He noted that tournaments hosted at 1st Serve could attract hundreds of participants from across the Midwest, benefiting local hotels and restaurants and offering a valuable opportunity to showcase Muncie to families who may be considering Ball State University.

Neil’s father, Steve Behrman, is a well-known tennis coach and former YMCA tennis director who helped build Muncie’s love of tennis before relocating out of state. For Neil, the project represents a meaningful continuation of that family tradition.

“For our family, 1st Serve presents the opportunity to continue the 40-plus-year history of sharing tennis with Muncie, Delaware County and the greater east central Indiana community,” he says. “The legacy of Steve Behrman is one of training champions, both on and off the court, through a commitment to generosity of spirit, kindness and ‘love.’ No pun intended. Jini and 1st Serve are set to continue that spirit.”

A Vision Rooted in Legacy, Grown with Intention

Morgan’s focus is on cultivating community first while leaving room for future collaboration.

“There’s potential for great partnerships,” she says. “But right now, it’s about building something that Muncie needs.”

Part of that foundation includes honoring those who built the city’s tennis heritage. A Master Series is in the works to bring elite coaches back to Muncie to train players and future instructors. Morgan’s goal is to be known as a regional hub for quality tennis education and coach development.

Morgan is as energized as ever. She calls herself owner, manager, janitor — and occasionally, gardener.

“This is all I do now,” she laughs. “But I love it. I’ve never been more certain of my purpose.”

For more information, search “1st Serve Muncie” on Facebook.