Pickleball is addictive ! I know because I am an addict and most of my friends that play are as well. What a great addiction though. The benefits of the game go beyond the physical as there is the mental, emotional and social aspect that become an important and integral part of a person’s lifestyle.
Having been open for only 45 days, Little Rock Athletic Club’s (LRAC) Pickleball facility is already turning heads, both in aesthetics and management. Frank Lawrence, CEO at LRAC, gives us a glimpse of his story as he spearheaded the transition from temporary courts to permanent, and building a state-of-the-art pickleball facility from the ground up. This pickleball facility is a testament to LRAC’s dedication to providing members with diverse and engaging fitness options. With soaring demand for pickleball, LRAC aims to cater to both seasoned players and beginners looking to explore this rapidly growing sport. Key features of the club include climate controlled courts, professional coaching services, modern amenities, social events, and membership benefits.
Hope College, located in Holland, Michigan, has a long list of student clubs and organizations from fly fishing, to outdoor adventure clubs, and more. Over the past year, the newly added pickleball club has gained traction within the student body, boasting an average of 50 students showing up weekly to participate in practices. Club President Nate Jobson says, “We encourage students to join through campus advertisements, like putting meetings in the weekly campus emails or on the TVs around the school. We also use Instagram to post events, and those will often get put up on other campus accounts.”
As the vision provided by Triple Crown Sports clarifies the shape of PickleCon 2024, there’s news about how club owners and directors in pickleball can take advantage of early access to this remarkable event, set for the Kansas City Convention Center from Aug. 8-11.
Determined to expand pickleball throughout their community, Bloomington Pickleball Club (BPC), based out of Ellettsville, Indiana, has committed itself to intentional and regular engagement with their local resources to maximize their impact on the area. Civic engagement itself is viewed as “pivotal for BPC as it aligns with [their] core values of promoting health, fitness, and social connectivity through pickleball,” says Dave Martin, Chair of the Board and a Co-Founder of BPC. Martin leads an excellent team of passionate and active board members, along with a dedicated club membership, to cultivate deep relationships within the community and execute their goals. While everyone involved with the club is responsible for the club’s civic engagement efforts to an extent, the BPC maintains a Partnership and Outreach Committee that is specifically tasked with “collaborat[ing] closely with local organizations, businesses, and government entities to maximize the impact of [their] initiatives.” Through their multi-pronged approach, BPC strives to introduce the sport to a wider audience in addition to fostering a greater sense of belonging within the community. BPC seeks to establish pickleball as an integral tenant of the local lifestyle and embolden participation from all walks of life.
Located in Tacoma, Washington, The Drop Pickleball Club has quickly found success in helping their members become well trained. The new establishment knew from the very beginning that it was imperative to bring on experienced coaches to kickstart their program. Kristen Sexton from The Drop, says, “we started putting thought into our coaches very early on in our process. We were fortunate enough to have a legend of the game in our area.” Brian Ashworth, a pickleball pro with a decade of playing and teaching experience, was approached early on by Sexton and her staff. “…[Brian] got to watch us struggle to actually bring our club to life, and he was ready to roll on day one.” Since then, The Drop Pickleball Club has taken on one other coach, Jim Bouchard, who came to them as well.
