Club Bulletin

SPORTIME Pickleball is proud to become a Platinum partner of DUPR, the world’s most accurate rating platform for pickleball players. Over 1 Million players use DUPR, providing them with real-time match results and assessments, access to historical match data, and the ability to network with other players within the pickleball community.

SPORTIME will be offering special DUPR-rated Open Play sessions and tournaments at multiple facilities this fall, ensuring that each event will include players of the same level, based upon their DUPR rating.

If you haven’t already set up your free DUPR account, sign up now at https://www.dupr.com/  and be sure to select SPORTIME as your home club to get started! Click here to visit our webpage.
 

July 31, 2024 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff

The second Long Island Tennis Magazine Tennis Challenge of 2024 welcomed players to the clay courts at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake on Saturday. The event featured three divisions of play, plus the amenities and atmosphere associated with the LITM Challenge tournaments.

“There are many options for local players when it comes to racquet sports, and we are appreciative that so many players came out and chose our event. To get this many players into this tournament was a real success. I believe this is an indication that players see the professionalism and quality we bring to the events we host, and that they have a great time on and off the court,” said David Sickmen, co-tournament director of the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge. “I certainly want to thank our beautiful host facility, SPORTIME Hempstead Lake, as well as my co-director Michelle Stoerback, whose passion and energy for adult tennis is second to none, and our LITM Event staff, who did a fantastic job. We look forward to more community involvement, and are excited to see everyone at our next Challenge.”

View the full story on Long Island Tennis Magazine website

We are proud the African American Pickleball Association is showcasing their support for pickleball at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake. Fierce and friendly competition, music and fun filled our beautiful outdoor courts. We hope to see more events that support groups and associations to promote the game.  

Special shout out to SPORTIME GM Fiorella Labiento and Pickleball Director Lisa Scotti, along with other coaches, who donated their time and coaching to support the African American Pickleball Association. If you are interested in running an event, please contact pickleball@sportimeny.com. 

Click here to see the write up in Newsday along with video and audio about the day.

SPORTIME Clubs and Hornig Capital Partners Partner to Develop Pickleball Facilities throughout the Northeast, to be Operated Under the Brand SPORTIME Pickleball  
For Immediate Release - New York, October 2, 2023: SPORTIME Clubs and Hornig Capital Partners announced today that they have signed a partnership agreement to establish a new company, SPORTIME Pickleball, LLC, that will develop and operate state-of-the-art, standalone, pickleball facilities in the tri-state area under the SPORTIME brand. The joint venture is a collaboration of SPORTIME Clubs, the largest and most sophisticated operator of racket sports facilities and programs in the Northeast, including the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, and Hornig Capital Partners, a NY-based real estate development company with a track record of success in developing value added properties. 

SPORTIME Pickleball is currently preparing to offer a limited $14 million tranche of founding partner equity to qualified investors, and has executed a long-term lease for a site under development in Armonk, NY, scheduled to open in 2024. SPORTIME Pickleball is currently negotiating 8 lease transactions on Long Island and in Westchester, Connecticut, New Jersey and NYC, with the goal of having more than a dozen dedicated pickleball centers in operation by the end of 2027. Claude Okin, President & CEO of Sportime Clubs, explains, “for SPORTIME, this is a natural expansion of our business and allows us to utilize existing talent and expertise across racket sports lines. There are inexperienced pickleball start-ups everywhere at the moment, but we plan to leverage our 35-year advantage to offer the best pickleball facilities and programs and to acquire dominant market share in the geographies where we do business and nearby.”

SPORTIME Pickleball will operate dedicated indoor and outdoor pickleball sites throughout the Northeast, and expects to become the dominant pickleball club operator in the area and beyond, leveraging SPORTIME’s existing infrastructure, which already includes 70 pickleball courts, management and programming expertise and player database of more than 30,000 active members/players. SPORTIME recently opened the largest indoor pickleball facility in New York State at their Port Washington facility, consisting of 12 dedicated courts. Each SPORTIME Pickleball location will feature 10-20 state-of-the-art pickleball courts that will be available for social and competitive open play sessions, court-time rentals, tournaments, clinics, instruction, and private events. Some locations will feature restaurant and event spaces, which will be operated by food and beverage partners. 

“We are continuing to see terrific growth in all racket sports, but especially in the unprecedented boom of pickleball. In response, SPORTIME is committed to bringing world-class pickleball facilities to our markets and beyond,” explained Okin. “Our goal in pickleball, as in tennis, is to develop lifelong and committed players, who choose SPORTIME Pickleball locations to enjoy best-in-class facilities, instructional programs, customer care and amenities. We plan to grow our pickleball capacity as quickly as possible, and we are launching this new undertaking with the team at Hornig Capital Partners, who are experts in real estate development and planning.” 

Daren Hornig, Managing Partner of Hornig Capital Partners shared, “I am thrilled to be partnering with SPORTIME to help to build a business around a sport that I love, in markets that I know very well. My role is to source the best locations and to negotiate the best possible leases or acquisitions for our growing network of dedicated pickleball clubs.” Hornig added, “It is very exciting to be participating in this joint venture with SPORTIME Clubs, as they represent the gold standard of excellence in racket sports facilities and programs in the Northeast. The pickleball boom is bringing more people to the court every day, and SPORTIME Pickleball will be providing high quality facilities and programs for our communities to embrace and enjoy.”

For more information, email info@SportimePickleball.com. 

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About SPORTIME Clubs  
Since 1994, SPORTIME has been proud to operate the finest tennis and sports facilities in New York State. SPORTIME’s 15 club locations most recently expanded to include the iconic Port Washington Tennis Academy, now SPORTIME Port Washington. SPORTIME currently offers 194 indoor and outdoor tennis courts and 70 pickleball courts, as well as rinks, turf, camps, gyms and more, at sites across Long Island, in NYC, in Westchester and in the NY Capital Region. SPORTIME clubs are state-of-the-art, yet affordable, and feature the best tennis, sports and fitness facilities and programs, including the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) and SPORTIME Volleyball Club (VBC). SPORTIME clubs serve individuals of every age and athletic ability, 365 days a year. Learn more: www.sportimeny.com. 

About Hornig Capital Partners  
Based in New York, Hornig Capital Partners LLC (HCP) is a privately held real estate investment and development firm specializing in value-added opportunities throughout the United States. Led by Daren Hornig, a real estate industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience, HCP pursues purchases of fee simple interest assets, as well as select joint venture structures, with capital appreciation opportunities and risk-adjusted returns. HCP also invests in assets for long-term property appreciation and to effectively recapitalize existing properties with owners to maximize returns. In the past ten years, HCP has successfully closed on more than $1 billion worth of property and development projects. Most recently, HCP purchased the iconic Port Washington Tennis Academy and successfully leased and partnered with Sportime Clubs to create the SPORTIME Port Washington, featuring over 200,000 square feet of tennis and pickleball courts and amenities; the largest racket sports center on Long Island. 
 

For Immediate Release - New York, August 23, 2023: SPORTIME Randall’s Island, New York City’s  premiere tennis facility, is adding 12 indoor pickleball courts this fall and to kick off this exciting effort, in partnership with NYC Pickleball, set to host the largest indoor pickleball tournament in New York for the 1010 WINS Inaugural Pickleball Tournament.

New York’s leader for news and information, 1010 WINS is set to hold their inaugural Pickleball Tournament, in partnership with SPORTIME and NYC Pickleball, at SPORTIME Randall’s Island brand new indoor pickleball courts September 30, 2023. This event, in partnership with SPORTIME and NYC Pickleball, will be one of the biggest indoor pickleball events in Manhattan this year.

Cash prizes of $1010 will be awarded to the top players in each division of competition, including men’s doubles, mixed doubles, and women’s doubles. 90-minute pre-tournament clinic for beginner and advanced beginner levels.

Raffles, Giveaways, Sponsor Booths and more:
CasaMigos Tequila, The Good Feet Store, NYC Pain, LifeVac, E-Boost Energy, Amazon Hub, NY Institute of Technology, Rothman Orthopedics

Details
What:  1010 WINS Pickleball Tournament 
When:   Saturday, September 30th
Where:  SPORTIME Randall’s Island, NYC - SportimeNY.com/NYC
Registration Opens: Wednesday, August 23rd
Registration closes:  September 26rd
More Info:  www.1010WINS.com/pickleball
For tournament entry fees, schedules and more:  https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptd.aspx?eid=653AED75-DE49-4BA1-9DE0-3BBA2B772DE5 

SPORTIME Randall’s Island is located at 1 Randall’s Island, NY. For more information, visit  www.SportimeNY.com/Manhattan or to communicate with a member of our Pickleball team, email  pickleballnyc@sportimeny.com.  

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About SPORTIME Pickleball 
As New York State’s leader for tennis and racket sports, SPORTIME has been excited to welcome the fastest  growing sport in the Country, pickleball, to our clubs, and to apply our 35 years of experience and expertise in  racket sports and multi-sport programming and coaching, and in club management, to this fast growing market  segment. SPORTIME clubs currently offer 50 pickleball courts at 8 SPORTIME facilities, already making us one  of the largest pickleball providers in New York State. SPORTIME’s newest club, SPORTIME Port Washington, will  feature a renovated 12-court pickleball facility, the largest pickleball center on Long Island. We are planning the  addition of more than 100 additional pickleball courts at new and existing SPORTIME locations in the next two to  three years, including the 12 courts in NYC at SPORTIME Randall’s Island.  

About SPORTIME Clubs 
Since 1994, SPORTIME has been proud to operate the finest tennis and sports facilities in New York State.  SPORTIME’s 15 club locations, most recently expanded to include the iconic Port Washington Tennis Academy,  now SPORTIME Port Washington, currently offer 194 indoor and outdoor tennis courts and 50 pickleball courts,  as well as rinks, turf, camps, gyms and more, at sites across Long Island, in NYC, in Westchester and in the NY  Capital Region. SPORTIME clubs are state-of-the-art, yet affordable, and feature the best tennis, sports and  fitness facilities and programs, including the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) and SPORTIME Volleyball  Club (VBC). SPORTIME clubs serve individuals of every age and athletic ability, 365 days a year. Learn more:  www.sportimeny.com.
 

SPORTIME continued our commitment to the growth of Pickleball by hosting an IPTPA training certification workshop at our tennis and pickleball facility in Port Washington, NY.

20 tennis coaches, many of them international, from 7 different SPORTIME locations, participated in the 9 hour training session, designed to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to introduce and teach Pickleball to beginner and advanced beginner players. With 50 pickleball courts currently and 17 more on the way by October, we are positioning ourselves to be a true leader in this growing industry.

If you are interested in a career in Pickleball with SPORTIME, please click here for open opportunities.

A New York native, Lisa has excelled at a variety of sports, including pickleball, paddleball, tennis, softball and paddle tennis. Lisa is a member of the Paddleball Hall of Fame, but, a few years ago she shifted her focus to playing and teaching pickleball exclusively, and she has achieved great success in prestigious tournaments across the Tri-State area and nationwide. As a Professional Pickleball Registry certified pickleball coach, Lisa enjoys introducing newcomers to the game and helping players of all ages and levels improve and compete. Lisa is a devoted ambassador for the sport, and SPORTIME is excited to have her at the helm of pickleball at its flagship facility in NYC!

SPORTIME Randall’s Island is in the final stages of a facility expansion, which includes the addition of 10 new tennis courts, making the 30-court facility one of the largest in the world. In an effort to respond to the unprecedented growth of pickleball, and to welcome NYC pickleball players, SPORTIME will retrofit five of its bubbled, hard-surface, tennis courts, so that those courts can also provide 12 hybrid pickleball courts, which will be available for pickleball players to enjoy seven days a week.  

“Pickleball is a natural expansion of our racket sports business in NYC and at our clubs across New York State, and we are thrilled to be bringing the first large-scale, indoor, pickleball facility to NYC,” explains SPORTIME CEO & President, Claude Okin. “Our goal is to welcome thousands of NYC’s most committed picklers during the indoor season, so that they can keep playing all year and experience the best-in-class facilities, programs and amenities that SPORTIME has to offer!” Added Okin, “With the unveiling of our $45 million expansion project at Randall’s Island this fall, and the addition of pickleball, SPORTIME hopes to be the go-to destination for racket sports players of all ages and abilities to learn and enjoy our lifetime sports.”  

Pickleball players of all levels will have the opportunity to improve their games, to join social and competitive, level-based group play, to rent courts seasonally or by the hour, and to enjoy a host of special events and tournaments throughout the year. SPORTIME tennis and pickleball members enjoy great benefits, including 7-day advanced court-time reservations, member pricing on lessons and events and access to SPORTIME Pickleball programming.  

Contact Lisa by emailing lscotti@sportimeny.com or calling (212) 427-6150.

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SPORTIME Randall’s Island, the NYC home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, is in the final stages of a $45 million expansion that will make the 30-court facility the largest indoor tennis club and training facility in NYC and in the world.   In an effort to accommodate unprecedented demand from millions of NYC pickleball enthusiasts, SPORTIME will retrofit 5 of its bubbled hard-surface tennis courts so that those courts can also provide 12, oversized, hybrid pickleball courts, which will be available for pickleball players to enjoy 7 days a week at designated times.  

Players of all levels will have the opportunity to learn the game of pickleball and to improve their games, to join social and level based group play, to rent courts seasonally or by the hour, and to enjoy a host of special events and tournaments throughout the year. SPORTIME tennis and pickleball members will enjoy great pickleball benefits, including 7-day advanced court-time booking privileges, member pricing on lessons and events and access to SPORTIME pickleball programming.    

SPORTIME Randall’s Island is located at 1 Randall’s Island, in Manhattan.  For more information, visit www.SportimeNY.com/Manhattan. To communicate with a member of our Pickleball team, email pickleballnyc@sportimeny.com.  

The weather did not dampen the 7th season for the acclaimed JMTA College Recruiting Combine hosted at SPORTIME Randall’s Island. The past weekend of June 24th and 25th witnessed a grand display of skill, talent, and potential at the much-anticipated event. For two days, the spotlight shone on the future stars of collegiate tennis.

More than a tennis event, the JMTA College Recruiting Combine is an arena where ambition meets opportunity; a place where players from across the country come to compete, impress, and connect. 

Click here for the gallery.

This Combine could not have been possible without the coaches who took the time out of their busy schedules to evaluate these promising athletes. They offered insightful feedback, their valuable time, and, most importantly, the opportunity for these young talents to prove themselves. We'd like to extend our gratitude to each one of them for their participation and commitment.

As we reflect on the success of the 7th Annual JMTA College Tennis Recruiting Combine, we’d also like to take some time to thank our sponsors that played a significant role in shaping this unforgettable experience.

Our partners, UTR Powered by Oracle, deserve a special mention for providing the digital platform that aided us in managing the event. The detailed player profiles and the comprehensive rating system ensured a fair evaluation of all participants.

A special acknowledgement goes to TennisAnalytics for stepping in with their top-tier live-streaming capabilities. Their exceptional service enabled coaches who couldn't attend in person to witness the talent firsthand, ensuring that no swing, serve, and volley was missed.

We’d also like to extend our thanks to the College Planning Alliance for organizing a financial aid seminar on planning and college aid. It proved incredibly beneficial for both athletes and their parents, providing valuable guidance in navigating the complexities of college expenses.

Gold Coast Vision Performance for conducting comprehensive vision testing for all athletes. Their contribution is greatly appreciated as it helped identify potential vision concerns, emphasizing the importance of eye health in sports.

Our thanks also extends to Nike, Head, Solinco, and Penn for providing the players with top-notch tennis equipment. The premium rackets, balls, and other gear ensured that the athletes had everything they needed to perform at their peak.

Each sponsor contributed to the seamless execution of the Combine, elevating the experience for the players, coaches, parents, and everyone else involved. We are thankful for their support, and look forward to continuing these partnerships for future Combines.

The JMTA College Tennis Recruiting Combine's primary objective has always been to facilitate a space where athletes can showcase their skills in front of college coaches, and this year was no different. We can’t wait to see how these athletes progress and are eager to welcome another set of talented players next year.
 

SPORTIME Hempstead Lake's were packed with Dinkers and Droppers from across the island at our 1st Mega Clinic. What started as a beginner clinic quickly become more of an ex-Tennis players guide to stop doing what they are used to doing.  Driving the ball, power hitting is not the name of the game in Pickle and it is truly a humbling experience.

The focus to stop and slow your roll on the court is easier said than done. Beginners probably did better than the Intermediates did since there is no need to undo bad habits on the court. The day began with precautionary tales why you should keep the ball low. Any intermediate pickleballer knows how tasty those donuts are.

Overall a successful day and smiles all around. Drills then point games and king/queen of the court. Play and instruction was lively and we can't wait to do it again. To find out more about SPORTIME's Pickleball Clinics, Tournaments and Parties, visit www.sportimeny.com/pickleball and click on EVENTS.