Club Bulletin

We’re excited to announce that SPORTIME Volleyball Club (VBC) is launching in the Hamptons this fall! Beginning Fall 2025, SPORTIME VBC will offer competitive club volleyball teams for girls ages 13–16, based at the SPORTIME Amagansett Multi-Sport Arena.

Program Highlights:

• Weekly training sessions at SPORTIME Amagansett
• Local and travel tournament play
• Full VBC gear package for all players

Important Dates:

• Tryouts: Sunday, August 10th & Monday, August 11th
• Parent Information Meeting: Monday, August 4th at 7:00 PM (via ZOOM)

Location:
SPORTIME Amagansett – Multi-Sport Arena
385 Abrahams Path, East Hampton, NY 11937
(631) 267-3460
www.sportimeny.com/amms  

Call SPORTIME VBC flagship at (516) 731-4432 for more information.

Spring is here! Thank you for being a valued member of our tennis and sports community. We're excited to kick off another summer season in Amagansett and look forward to sunny, active days ahead! Click here for full updates.

Grand Opening of Largest Indoor Tennis Facility in the United States

April 30, 2025 (New York, NY) — SPORTIME Randall’s Island proudly celebrates the completion of its $55 million expansion, a transformative project two years in the making. Today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the latest milestone in the facility’s evolution, and firmly establishes its position as a world-class – and the largest – indoor tennis club and training facility in the United States.

One hundred percent funded by SPORTIME Clubs, this major investment follows the original $20+ million SPORTIME led project that brought SPORTIME Randall’s Island to life in 2009. With SPORTIME’s total capital investment reaching more than $75 million, the facility now stands as a testament to SPORTIME’s enduring commitment to New York City, reflecting its focus on excellence in sport, accessibility, and community impact.

“I am a lifelong New Yorker, I learned to play tennis in New York City public parks, including at Randall’s Island,” said Claude Okin, SPORTIME’s President & CEO. “So, there is no achievement more personal to me, or of which I am prouder, than SPORTIME’s flagship facility on Randall’s Island. Our goal, since 2004, has been to create a year-round tennis club and training center like no other in the world, right here in our hometown: NYC. And we have done that.”  

Best-in-Class Tennis Mecca
SPORTIME Randall’s Island now spans more than 260,000 square feet of tennis courts and support space. The expansion has elevated and diversified the year-round campus, which offers a scale and caliber of resources not previously available in the tri-state area—or anywhere beyond.

Now home to 33 courts—up from 20 at its inception—SPORTIME Randall’s Island features 15 Laykold hard-surface courts housed in two permanent buildings and in one seasonal air-structure, in addition to 14 Har-Tru soft-surface courts in one permanent and one seasonal air-structure. The facility also includes a dedicated Community Welcome Center with four 36’ red ball courts. All year-round indoor courts are fully air-conditioned, while all 12 seasonal outdoor courts are equipped with stadium-quality lighting for nighttime play. The result: elite playing and training conditions on multiple surfaces for athletes of all ages and skill levels.

To support the training, recovery, well-being and social interaction of players and athletes, the expansion added a second state-of-the-art clubhouse with direct viewing of 12 of the facility’s courts, and an enhanced athletic performance training and recovery center that rivals those found at elite professional venues. Amenities including lounge areas and classrooms, a wellness-focused café, and a full-service pro shop offering an unrivaled, world-class environment for players at every level.

The expansion also enhanced the facility’s special event and tournament hosting capabilities, including private lounge spaces, TV quality lighting, and electronic line calling on its hard-surface courts. The outdoor stadium court can be configured to accommodate up to 4,000 spectators, making it an ideal venue for competitions and showcases.

A Global Destination, Rooted in Public & Private Partnership 

SPORTIME Randall’s Island is parkland and the property of the City of New York and is operated by SPORTIME subject to a 25-year license agreement. It is both a commercial tennis club, open to the public, and a public park, with half of its courts, including lighted courts for evening play, accessible to NYC Parks Tennis Permit holders at a cost of $100 for the entire outdoor season. SPORTIME is a foundational partner of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA), the nonprofit organization that redeveloped and maintains the Park, which features Icahn Stadium and over 60 playing fields, and is one of NYC’s premiere sports destinations. SPORTIME’s more $2.5 million in annual license fees provide critical funding for the upkeep and improvement of the Island’s facilities. 
SPORTIME Randall's Island has redefined what a public/private partnership can be and achieve in sport. The facility welcomes 50,000 players and guests annually, hosts weekly tournaments and events ranging from USTA league play to international showcases, and employs a team of over 100 New Yorkers.  

"It is thrilling to see the completion of this significant project that only elevates the offerings Randall's Island Park and SPORTIME bring to both the local and greater NYC communities," said Randall's Island Park Alliance President Deborah Maher. "These state-of-the-art, expanded facilities represent the commitment SPORTIME and the Alliance are making to continually improve Randall's Island for park patrons and sports-enthusiasts of all ages."

“The expansion of SPORTIME Randall’s Island is an excellent example of how public/private partnerships can activate our parks and expand access to recreational opportunities for New Yorkers of all ages,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “With over 400 diverse concessions citywide, NYC Parks is proud to partner with organizations like SPORTIME that not only generate vital revenue, but also enhance our parks through dynamic, year-round programming and meaningful capital improvements to our green spaces.”
Commitment to Community

Launched in the fall of 2010, the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) at SPORTIME Randall’s Island offers world-class, year-round coaching for junior players aiming to compete at the highest levels. Reflecting McEnroe’s vision of an urban academy, JMTA provides students with access to top-tier training while allowing them to live at home and attend local schools, thus offering access and opportunity to aspiring NYC-based athletes. Since its inception, over 200 JMTA players have earned college scholarships and preferred admission through their tennis. 

“When we launched the John McEnroe Tennis Academy at SPORTIME Randall’s Island in 2010, the goal wasn’t just to develop great players, it was to create access, to give New York kids real opportunity, and to build something lasting in the city I grew up in,” said McEnroe. “The expansion of this facility is a big moment. It means more courts, more kids, and more chances to do it right. And for me, that’s what it has always been about.”

SPORTIME Randall’s Island is also home to the Johnny Mac Tennis Project (JMTP), a non-profit offering free community-based instructional programs that welcome as many as 1,600 children weekly to the facility. More than 2,000 children participate in JMTP programs offsite, at schools and CBOs, as well as virtual programming. Many of these kids are from NYC’s most underserved and under-resourced neighborhoods. JMTP’s programs are designed to introduce tennis at an early age, as a life-long health and wellness activity. For some, JMTP’s school-year programs lead to JMTP’s Excellence Program, which provides a pathway to JMTA scholarships. 

"For over a dozen years, our third graders at Central Park East II have received weekly tennis lessons thanks to the unwavering support of the Johnny Mac Tennis Project” said Naomi Smith, principal, Central Park East II. “We are deeply thankful and appreciate its commitment to our students.”

James Sayer, principal at Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem, is also appreciative. “JMTP has been an incredible opportunity for our students. The program has opened doors to high-level play, college scholarship opportunities, and unforgettable experiences—like meeting Billie Jean King! We’re so grateful for the access and excellence JMTP provides.”

A Vision Realized
SPORTIME Randall’s Island reflects a legacy of corporate and personal commitment, leadership and investment that has been sustained through two recessions and a global pandemic, and funded without the use of any taxpayer dollars. SPORTIME’s commitment to NYC and to its work at SPORTIME Randall’s Island is now 20 years in the making, with decades and generations more to come.

“We raised, borrowed and invested $75 million to build the largest and best publicly accessible indoor tennis facility in the world on NYC parkland, and owned by NYC, at which we welcome players and students of all ages, levels, and backgrounds,” said Okin. “We are very proud of what we have built, and even more excited about the opportunities that these world-class facilities will create for our players, coaches, and community members, and, most of all, for our kids.”

#  #  #
Editor’s Note – Here is DropBox with photos to accompany the release – Click HERE

Media Contact:
Jennefer Witter
The Boreland Group Inc.
917.532.9907
Jwitter@theborelandgroup.com
 

The team at SPORTIME Amagansett are busy preparing the 2025 season - our 37th year operating this very special club in the Town of East Hampton. We are eagerly looking forward to another very busy season. For all you tennis parents and grandparents, and for our junior future stars, I wanted to share some big news about our John McEnroe Tennis Academy summer tennis training camp.

While we have had some wonderful coaches leading JMTA Summer Training Camp @ Amagansett, since 2013, we have, honestly, never been able to fully integrate our summer program with JMTA's Flagship location at Randall's Island in NYC, where so many of the best junior in the country and in the world train. But starting in 2025, things are going to be different!

Every week of the summer, one or more superstar JMTA Directors from the team at Randall's Island will be in-residence in Amagansett, leading our JMTA Summer Training camp. Starting with Patrick McEnroe, and including Mark Bowtell, Brian Helm and Dejan Vukojicic, with more special guests to be added, every week of training at Amagansett will be actively and personally led by coaching royalty. And to provide the glue for what we promise will be a consistently wonderful training camp experience all summer long, we are very pleased to welcome our new JMTA on-site Co-Directors, both of whom have been key members of the Amagansett coaching team since 2021: Stan Bedrune and Gui de Medeiros.

Please see the bios of our core JMTA Summer Training Leadership Team below:

Patrick McEnroe, Executive Director of JMTA

As a junior from Douglaston, NY, Patrick reached the semifinals of Wimbledon and the US Open boys’ singles in 1983. At Stanford University, Patrick captained NCAA championship teams in 1986 and 1988 and graduated with a degree in political science. On the ATP Tour, Patrick achieved world rankings of No.28 in singles and No.3 in doubles and won a French Open title in doubles. Patrick was the longest tenured U.S. Davis Cup captain in history, winning the cup in 2007. He was the General Manager of Player Development for the USTA until mid-2015 and joined Sportime/JMTA in 2017.

Stanislas Bedrune, Site Co-Director, JMTA Summer Tennis Training, Amagansett

Stanislas (Stan) Bedrune hails from France, was a competitive junior in his home country before moving to the US to play for Queens College. He helped The Knights win three ECC Conference Championships, while earning academic honors from both Queens College and the NCAA. Stan joined the SPORTIME Amagansett seasonal coaching team in 2018. Upon graduation, Stan was the Assistant Tennis Director for Richmond Country Club in Staten Island, while completing his Master’s in Sports Management. He re-joined the SPORTIME Amagansett team in 2021, served as Assistant General Manager in summer 2024, and joined the SPORTIME Randall’s Island coaching staff in the fall of 2024.

Guilherme de Medeiros, Site Co-Director, JMTA Summer Tennis Training, Amagansett

Hailing from Brazil, Guilherme (Gui) achieved a top-20 junior ranking in singles and a top-10 ranking in doubles in his home country. He began his collegiate career at Lewis-Clark State College (NAIA) before transferring to Hawaii Pacific University, where he helped The Sharks to reach the NCAA national semifinals, secure third place at the ITA Team National Indoors, and achieve a top-3 NCAA national ranking. Gui graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing, and was recognized annually as an ITA Scholar-Athlete. He then earned his MBA while competing for Long Island University’s NCAA Division I team. Gui has been a member of the coaching team at Sportime Syosset since 2021, also spending summers coaching at Sportime Amagansett. Starting in 2024, he became the Head Coach for both the men’s and women’s tennis teams at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, a top NCAA Division II program.

Mark Bowtell, Co-General Manager, SPORTIME RI and Director, JMTA NYC
JMTA Director in Residence

Mark hails from Dublin, Ireland where he trained at the National Tennis Academy from the age of 12. As a junior, Mark was nationally ranked in the top two in every age division. He won and was a finalist in several ITF junior events and earned an ATP ranking in 2010. Mark played collegiate tennis for Louisiana State University, graduating in December 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in sports administration. In the spring of 2012, while injured, Mark was a Student Volunteer Assistant Coach for the Tigers, before finishing his LSU career as a player and member of the 2012-13 squad. Mark joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2013.

Brian Helm, Senior Associate Director, SPORTIME RI & JMTA
JMTA Director in Residence

Brian was born and raised in the Washington DC area, where he played competitively as a junior. After being sidelined by a serious car accident, he moved down to Florida, at age 18, to rehab, train and play Futures tournaments. At age 20, Brian decided to focus his efforts on coaching. He spent 10 years doing so in Florida and in the Boston area, and the last 10 years doing so in the NYC area, coaching players of all ages and levels, from world-class to recreational. Brian joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2017.

Dejan Vukojicic, Senior Associate Director, SPORTIME RI & JMTA
JMTA Director in Residence

Dejan was born and raised in Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was ranked in the top 30 in Yugoslavia throughout his junior career. He attended the College of Sport, Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, in Serbia, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sport and coaching. Dejan was recognized as “The Most Promising Coach” by the Tennis Federation of Serbia in 2013, and as “The Best Junior Coach” by the Tennis Federation of Serbia in 2020. Dejan served as the Serbian Tennis Federation’s National Tennis Coach for U12, and the Director of its Tennis U10 program. He was also the coach of Miomir Kecmanovic taking him to #1 in Europe in Under 14s and twice winner of the Orange Bowl. Dejan was also a member of the Serbian Tennis Federation’s Coaching Board, with a focus on coach licensing, and a member of its Development Committee. Dejan joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022.

Meanwhile, stay tuned, as we are doing all we can to execute an early opening, so that players can get back to outdoor tennis at the club at the soonest date possible. We are currently planning to have 22 courts open on April 12.

Need personal assistance? Just email jmtahamptons@sportimeny.com, or text or call us at 631-267-1038. We are here to help!

Dear Members, Players and Parents:

Thank you!

Having wrapped-up our 36th outdoor tennis season at SPORTIME Amagansett early this month, and as we are reflecting on another amazing season, we thank you, our members, friends, players and guests, for sharing your love of tennis with us and for being a part of our SPORTIME Amagansett community.

We also want to congratulate all of our 2024 Club Tournament Champions!

Although our 33 beautiful, outdoor courts are now closed until spring, the fun continues for all ages with Adult Pickleball and Junior Sports Clinics in our Arena, or you can visit and play at any of our other Sportime locations, including our flagship club in NYC, Sportime Randall's Island, now the largest indoor tennis facility in the world.

Of course, we look forward to seeing you all on April 12th, 2025, for the start of our 37th season, if not before!

We also want to welcome Gabi Jasmim as our new Assistant General Manager. Gabi, sister of our Director of Tennis, Gui Jasmim, has been working at the club since spring 2024, so many of you know her and have benefited from her attention to detail and total commitment to customer service. Gabi holds advanced degrees in business and engineering from her home country, and has now made a long-term commitment to life in Amagansett, where she is raising her daughter, Olivia. We are lucky to welcome her as a key team member.

To all SPORTIME Amagansett Members, Players and Guests:

On Saturday, August 24, 2024, SPORTIME Amagansett will be hosting the 10th Annual Johnny Mac Tennis Project Pro-Am Charity Event. The event will include 150 pro and amateur participants, which makes ours one of the biggest tennis charity events in the world!

The Johnny Mac Tennis Project (JMTP) changes young lives by removing the racial, economic and social barriers to success through tennis. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by tennis legend John McEnroe, JMTP introduces the sport of tennis as a life-long health, fitness and social activity to thousands of under-resourced New York City area children.

For a smaller group of dedicated young athletes, JMTP provides a pathway to success through competitive tennis, leading to college scholarships, careers in the industry, and, for a few, professional tennis careers and, perhaps, Grand Slam titles.

The Pro-Am event requires the use of all of SPORTIME’s 33 tennis courts, which means that we will be closing the club for regular member and guest play from 12pm on Saturday, 8/24.

As all of our coaches, and many of our members, are participating in the event, we hope that we will not be inconveniencing too many of you. And we will do all we can to make sure that our members and guests get all the tennis they can handle on the morning of Saturday, 8/24.

If you are interested in playing in the event, there are a few player spots remaining, in addition to spectator tickets. As always, we are offering SPORTIME Amagansett members and their guests a 50% discount off the regular price of spectator tickets. Just use "FIFTYOFF" as the discount code when checking out. You can go to the JMTP website at www.jmtpny.org for additional info on the charity, and http://proam2024.givesmart.com/ to register for the event or to purchase your discounted event tickets and to access the event's silent auction.

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience and we thank you in advance for your support!

Claude Okin
President & CEO
SPORTIME Clubs

Hana Sromova
General Manager
SPORTIME Amagansett

It was great to see many of you over the beautiful holiday weekend. Summer is here!

I am writing to share that this coming Saturday night, June 3rd, Hana and I are being honored by the wonderful, local organization, the Retreat, at their annual All Against Abuse Gala Benefit. The Retreat is a volunteer-founded, not-for-profit, social service agency, in its fourth decade providing critically needed, 24-hour, emergency help and shelter, along with counseling and legal services, to victims of domestic and relationship violence. SPORTIME is proud to have been a friend and supporter of the Retreat since its inception.

Hana and I both feel a bit embarrassed about receiving this honor, as well as totally undeserving. Our support of the Retreat has been heartfelt, not at all about personal recognition, and really the least we can do. Not to mention that longtime SPORTIME members like Steve Bergerson, and others, have inspired us with their dedication as Retreat Board Members. The work that the Retreat does is really so important and essential.

Last year, SPORTIME member, Markie Hancock, also a Retreat Board Member, made a wonderful documentary film about the founding of the Retreat, and the work that it does, titled "The Power of Community: How One Town Stood Against Domestic Violence", which was featured at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The above is all to say, although we have had flyers and invitations to the event prominently displayed at the club, we have maybe been a little too quiet about it. The Gala is taking place next Saturday evening, from 6pm-8pm, at The Church, in Sag Harbor. You can read more about it by clicking here. and you can also access a terrific silent auction, with lots of great local items, and more, by clicking here.

For those of you who are going to be around next weekend, and who may not have been aware of the event, or for those who have not yet committed, please consider joining us in Sag Harbor next Saturday at 6pm for cocktails, delicious food, great conversation, and more, to support The Retreat. If you are unable to be a last-minute guest or sponsor, then please bid or give.

Thank you so much for anything you can do, and hope to see you there.

Sincerely,
Claude & Hana