San Miguel Tennis Weber Courts history

When Walter Weber arrived in San Miguel
de Allende in 1963 at the age of 39 he had
already lived an interesting life. He served
in the U.S. Army during The Korean War as
a radio operator, worked on an Oklahoma
ranch and learned the ins and outs of its
daily operation, and attended the School of
Design in Chicago, Illinois and the Ringling
School of Art and Design in Sarasota,
Florida.
He came to San Miguel to study sculpture
at Bellas Artes. Soon after, he was offered
a position as a teacher at the renowned
Instituto Allende and became well known for
his work in bronze and other metals,
particularly for his whimsical
representations of animals like horses and
goats.
In 1968 Walter purchased the large piece
of land in the San Antonio Neighborhood
where Weber Tennis Courts now stand. He
built a casita and a "taller" (workshop /
studio) and brought his new bride Maria
there to live.
In the early seventies Walter and Maria
started a family. First came Walter Jr, then
Michael, and finally Hans. Walter was
determined that his young sons learn a
hobby that would keep them active and
entertained, so although he had never
picked up a tennis racquet, he read a book
about the game, built a court, and set out to
teach the boys to play. As the years passed
a second and then third court was added,
and the "Weber Boys" became quite
proficient at the game.
Walter Jr. went on to attend Indian River
Community College in Fort Pierce, Florida
where he was a member of the tennis team
and later studied architecture at La
Universidad del Valle de Mexico in
Queretaro. Michael attended the USPTA
endorsed Tennis Tech Program at Tyler
Junior College in Tyler, Texas and received
his certification in Professional Tennis
Management. The youngest, Hans, took a
different path and studied veterinary
medicine at La Universidad de Zacatecas.
Doctor Hans is an accomplished tennis
player in his own right and can be found
most days on the courts.
After Walter Weber passed away in 2003,
Maria and the Weber Boys took over the
day-to-day operations of the Weber Courts
and the rental apartments on-site. Walter's
young grandsons Tulio, Walter III and Mark
are already showing quite a bit of potential
on the courts and may someday carry on
the family business.