NEWS

Needham, Massachusetts, wanted a paddle haven, and now they have it in spades.

Long Time Coming

In 2014, Needham Pool and Racquet Club in Needham, Massachusetts, discussed bringing paddle to the club. They worked on it for a bit and ultimately abandoned the idea.

Club President Barry Nectow said, “In 2018, I was approached by the Truck Stop. They were shutting their club down in Billerica.” They offered their two courts. “We formed a nonprofit entity, added a third court, and built the hut. We did that work beginning in 2018 and opened for business in October of 2021.”

Instant Community

Director of Tennis and Paddle Carel Pretorius said, “A lot of people had never heard of paddle until they were offered a membership, and they jumped on it. It's part of the community, it's part of the town.”

Nectow agreed, “NPTC really is a community-building entity. It marries the idea of doing something athletic and doing something social.”

Appeal to Members

The platform courts are surrounded by the tennis courts, set down a short path from the large pool facility. The upgraded 800-foot hut was an added convenience for the tennis players. Peretorious said, “It's a beautiful setup. And it is a very affordable club; you don't need to spend a huge amount of money for paddle here.”

The club anticipated a slow momentum build, so they opened membership to Needham residents first, in February of 2021. The hope was that they would fill most of the paddle spots in a few months and then offer other spots to nearby players before the grand opening in October. The reality was that they filled membership in one day. The current waitlist is years long.

Partnership with APTA Grants and Loans Program

“They needed a little assistance financially to get the club fundraising over the goal line. The APTA provided a grant and a three-year loan to help them get their project on its way to being fully funded and executed,” explained APTA Board Member John McIlhenny.

Nectow was so pleased with the APTA’s assistance and outreach that he recently joined the board.  He said, “If you're interested, or your town's interested in forming a club, reach out to me, reach out to the APTA. Everybody's willing to help grow the sport. I highly recommend pursuing a project. It will be a life-changer for you and all the players.”

Bonus Facts

The courts at NPTC aren’t actually the courts from The Truck Stop. The project timelines of dismantling the two courts and plot readiness in Needham were a few months apart, so Reilly Green Mountain put them in storage. Ultimately, the three refurbished courts are from other facilities.

Although about 90% of the new membership were beginners, in the last four years, NPTC has proudly won many divisions in the Boston area Metrowest League. (They did have the advantage of adopting some of the Truck Stop’s league-dominating players.)