At Wolverine Pickleball in Ann Arbor, Michigan, they believe that “it’s not just pickleball.” This club is committed to making each experience at their facility a personal and memorable experience. One way they are presently working to cultivate such an experience is by building a brand new 39,000 sq. ft. facility for members and guests to enjoy that is set to open in November 2023.
Wolverine Pickleball’s story has always been one of growth as they began as a small pickleball community in 2018. The club ran “community education programs to teach people to play since that was before everyone had heard of pickleball,” says Christy Howden, the CEO and Co-Founder of Wolverine Pickleball. To host larger tournaments, they would rent out school gyms and tennis courts since they did not have their own facility. During this time, they continued to search for a suitable space to rent, which they finally found in October 2020. The space they found was a warehouse which they were able to “[DIY] the buildout of the four courts with the help of [their] community.” While this space was adequate for the short term, Wolverine Pickleball’s leadership desired a future for the club that was located in its own building. In August 2021, they found land and went under contract to begin changing the zoning for the property and working with their team of architects, engineers, and builders to develop the property into a new pickleball club facility. Shortly after this, in April 2022, while planning for the new facility in the background, they took advantage of their neighbor moving out and expanded the warehouse facility to include an additional four courts. This project was accomplished with help of the community who came together to make it happen. Through this process of engaging with their community, Wolverine Pickleball leadership was “learning and adapting to what [their] community of players [were] interested in,” which has served them well for the new-build project.
From the beginning, the warehouse was a short term solution for the club as the “industrial complex was not well suited for the parking needs of [the] organization.” Howden and the leadership team were committed to finding a long term solution that met the club’s needs. During the club’s time of renting school gyms, tennis courts, and the warehouse, they developed a community of pickleball enthusiasts who would support a new facility of this scale, which allowed Howden and the leadership team to justify the investment.
During the research phase of the project, Howden was mindful to consider “how much a person played with [them] and their engagement in [their] community” when weighing feedback from the community. While it is easy to believe ‘bigger is better’ and let that drive decisions, it is crucial for pickleball club owners to have a firm pulse on the demand from their existing community, as well as projected new members.
The new facility will feature 12 indoor courts with cushioned surfaces and indirect lighting in banks of two. Due to Michigan’s climate, Howden comments that the “weather wear and tear [of outdoor courts] did not make sense for [them],” hence why they chose to go with solely indoor courts. In addition to the pickleball play offered at the new Wolverine Pickleball facility, they will have six outdoor sand courts for volleyball and beach tennis and six bocce/cornhole lanes. Also part of the outdoor entertainment area will be a “lounge area with firepits and food truck space.” Back inside, members and guests can enjoy the private party spaces, a large pro shop, and several lounge areas where they will serve beer, wine, and cocktails.
To get to this point, the team at Wolverine Pickleball has had to overcome many unexpected challenges to see their dream of a new facility come to life. “All sorts of hiccups come up,” says Howden, “some large and some minor but all can affect the momentum of the project.” Naturally, the balance between design and budget was a key point of tension throughout the project as they sought to secure investment and financing to create a high quality facility for members and guests. Further, they “navigated working with local government planning commissions and boards of trustees for zoning changes, water retention and environmental concerns.” One step at a time, they were able to resolve each issue and push this project forward.
Howden strongly believes that knowing your members is a crucial piece of knowledge when thinking about investing in a new facility for your pickleball club. Moreover, she wants other pickleball clubs owners considering building a facility to “be ready for many unexpected challenges [as] it is a long, winding project.” Being able to have confidence in your team and getting everyone aligned on the vision is key to success.
The local Ann Arbor community at large has shown great support for the new Wolverine Pickleball facility. The builder for the project has been blown away by the number of community members driving by on a daily basis to check on the progress.
In all, from the time Wolverine Pickleball secured the contract for the property to the grand opening, this will have been a 2+ year project facilitated by a team dedicated to seeing their club and the sport of pickleball flourish. Wolverine Pickleball is excited to host the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facility in late November 2023 as well as numerous additional pickleball focused events to celebrate the opening. This new facility has been several years in the works and Wolverine Pickleball cannot wait for the “greater community to see what [they] are all about.”
