AUGUSTA — It was just after noon Monday at the A-Copi Tennis and Sports Center, and on the back court there was one pickleball game going, with one player waiting his or her turn to play.

Usually, at mid-day on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, there would be dozens either lined up or on the court. But not now. Not with the coronavirus pandemic dominating the news.

“Normally, there’d be 20 to 25 people here,” Augusta resident Wayne Saucier said. “And here it’s just the five of us.”

Still, it was something, which has been hard to find since sports on all levels started screeching to a halt last Wednesday in response to the spread of the coronavirus. While five players played pickleball Monday afternoon, the remaining A-Copi courts were occupied with tennis players, providing one example of sports continuing to shoulder on.

“I do think it’s important, because we do our best job to try to make this place a safe environment that people can come to, and people love coming here and getting some exercise,” A-Copi manager Alex Stern said. “Being active, I think, is still a huge part of staying healthy.”

That said, Stern knows the situation, and while it’s business as usual at the club, it’s done with safety in mind and an eye on the news in case anything changes.

“We’re making sure that we sanitize everything that people touch. Lockers, for example, we’re spraying down, sanitizing. We’re wiping down tables, benches,” he said. “That’s been the mind frame. Open, but cautious. If we need to close down, I have no problem closing down. … It’s a day-by-day thing.”

It’s a similar approach taken by other facilities across the state. Maine Pines Racquet and Fitness in Brunswick was open Monday, a staffer said, but only to adults, while kids and exercise programs have been suspended. Apex Racket and Fitness in Portland postponed group activities, but had planned to open for individuals looking to use the courts.

Late Monday afternoon, however, came a recommendation from the city that fitness centers close for five days, and Apex owner and general manager Stephan Woods said his club was obliging.

“We had been in contact with pretty much all the other tennis clubs throughout the state, and we were all sharing information,” he said. “What we were hearing was that a lot of tennis clubs in Maine were going to be staying open, so we were adhering to that.

“The health and safety of our clients are of utmost importance. It’s certainly going to create a severe hardship, for not only the employees but the business itself.”

For the centers that remain open — however long — the players who use them are happy to still have the resource.

“It’s great to have this facility open at this time,” Saucier, 69, said. “Probably wishful thinking that it will remain open. … It was good to hear (they were open) because we get to stay active. We don’t have to stay locked up in the house.”

“It’s excellent,” said Augusta’s Joy Lanzilotta, 74. “Because I do think it’s important at our age that we do stay physically fit. I think if you’re taking 10 to 14 days off, that your body will feel that and notice it, and it won’t be healthy.”

Some players were skeptical about going to the courts, given the news from the past several days.

“I had serious doubts about even coming today,” Gardiner’s Greg Kaloust, 69, said. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea, but I figured there’d be a handful of people here, so I’d volunteer for it. But I had concerns.”

Others weren’t worried.

“I don’t think people should be in panic mode,” Winthrop’s Dianne Pinto, 50, said. “If you’re not sick, I don’t see why you can’t go out and continue to live your life and be careful. Just like you would if you had the common cold. Wash your hands. If you’re sick, stay home. … This is nice, that they actually came out and they played.”

“None whatsoever,” Lanzilotta answered when asked if she had reservations about playing. “And as I said to one of my friends who is staying home, you will probably go to the grocery store. You will touch something. How do you know (it’s clean)?”

Like their clubs, some players are taking their participation day by day. Kaloust, for instance, said he felt better Monday about being with players he knew and with whom he had already been in contact.

“It’s a calculation,” he said. “It’s good to get out. … If on Wednesday I come and there are 60 people here waiting to play, I’ll probably go home.”

It’s anyone’s guess how long that option will be there.

“For right now, we’re going to stay open, but we may end up closing as well,” Stern said. “We’re keeping a very close eye on what’s going on.”

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