Since its inception, SPF Chicago has been devoted to forming quality relationships on and off the court. The folks at SPF are all about being social, playing pickleball, and having fun, hence the name. All their activities are centered around community—the yard games, the dining and drinking options, and of course, the pickleball. Now, SPF is taking their communal dedication to the next level by participating in the CIPL (Chicagoland Indoor Pickleball League), a massive inter-club pickleball league in the Chicago area.
SPF opened its doors on the 26th of January with the goal of providing a unique, fun environment for all of its customers. The facility is tropical-themed, and when customers walk in they feel like they’ve been transported to an island paradise. Palm trees are painted on the walls, tropical plants line the courts, and bright colors shine throughout the building. Clark Kennedy, the Vice President of Operations, describes the environment as “laid back but bright and comfortable.”
Since its grand opening, SPF has brought in 500 members and droves of customers with its array of attractions and amenities. The pickleball scene includes 8 dedicated indoor courts, one of which is a glow-in-the-dark court. SPF customers can play in clinics, tournaments, leagues, open play sessions, and youth camps; larger groups like companies or families can reserve courts for their private parties. Players can also watch replays of their gameplay thanks to instant replay technology included with each court.
According to Kennedy, what really makes SPF stand out is its outstanding food and beverage services: “The biggest difference is the level of hospitality, food, and bar service.” The refreshment options include 2 cocktail bars, a coffee bar, and a fully loaded kitchen and menu. Some of Chicago’s favorite chefs help out at SPF, such as Tom Carlin and the founders of Honey Butter Fried Chicken. According to their website, “Food is the true centerpiece of all things social.”
Customers will also find a range of luxurious amenities and activities at SPF that they might not get at other clubs. Players get access to well-kept locker rooms and showers for extended stays, and those not interested in pickleball can amuse themselves with other complementary games like ping-pong, shuffleboard, and air hockey. Guests in the mood for relaxation can go to the indoor turf field complete with lounge chairs, bags, and a sizable projector screen.
SPF has always been a place for social pickleball and entertainment, but it has recently become a center for high-level competition thanks to its partnership with other clubs in the Chicagoland Indoor Pickleball League.
The idea for the CIPL began to take form in springtime when Rich Greene, the co-founder of SPF, got together with the owners at Sure Shot. After discussing the idea, both parties decided that they wanted to turn it into a reality. Later on, other clubs got on board with the idea and began to help with things like sponsorships, rules, uniforms, and the trophy.
The founders of CIPL wanted to eliminate the friction that often builds between competing businesses and instead form beneficial relations with other clubs: “Rather than just trying to beat every other facility, we wanted to bring everybody together and set the standard that this is not the normal business as usual.” After several sessions of discussion and planning, the CIPL was born, and six clubs joined the league: Sure Shot Pickleball, Pickle Haus, Victory, Pickled, SPF Chicago, and Net Game.
Before the league begins, each club selects their best players by whatever method they choose. The SPF Chicago team had 20 players, all of whom were selected based on their performance in qualifier tournaments put on by the club.
The CIPL consists of 6 weeks, and each week is played at a different club: “Every week the players get to experience a new facility in the area.” The first five weeks are regular season sessions and the last one is the championship week. Teams can play in two different divisions, one division for teams with combined DUPR ratings of 16 and the other for combined DUPR’s of 18. Once the season is finished, the club with the most points combined gets to take home the beautiful championship trophy to their facility.
The CIPL operates according to the rules used by MLP which includes 4 games to 21, rally scoring, and a potential tie-breaker (or “Dreambreaker) at the end. For more details on MLP formatting and rules, see this link: https://www.majorleaguepickleball.net/abcs-of-mlp/.
On July 14th, SPF got their first opportunity to host a CIPL event, and it was an unqualified success: “We pulled out all the stops for the players: we had an amazing physical therapist on site. We had awesome cocktails on site. We had a big hospitality spread for free for all the players. We had mini banana bread, french toast, fruit platters, and high-end free breakfast items featuring our local coffee.”
By the end of July, the first season of CIPL will have come to a close, but that won’t be the last players see of it. There are already talks going on between Chicago area clubs about putting on another season this fall.
The biggest benefit of hosting inter-club events is that it creates a sense of community and allows for positive relationships in the future: “The main reason is to bring all of the clubs together.” Pickleball is a fantastic way to bring people together in the same club, but why shouldn’t it also bring different clubs together?
Collaboration between various clubs can be difficult, and initially, it was hard for SPF and the other CIPL clubs to make decisions that made everyone happy: “What works best for one club doesn’t necessarily work the best for another.” They were eventually able to overcome this hurdle by getting together in person with a willingness to be flexible: “It’s all about compromise.”
When asked whether he thought other pickleball communities should start hosting inter-club leagues, Clark replied, “I think it’s a great idea.”
Those hoping to start an inter-club league must bear a few things in mind. First, prioritize meeting in person with other clubs. Communication is extremely important for collaboration, and the best communication happens in person. Second, find lots of people to help with organization. Kennedy advises clubs to “delegate different areas to different individuals and to have leaders in different departments.” Lastly, be flexible and prepared to make sacrifices for the sake of cooperation.
Thanks to the efforts of SPF Chicago and its partnering clubs, the CIPL now exists as a shining example of the great things that can happen when clubs team up as one community.
