The Pickleball Club Hires Nine and Gears Up for Opening

SARASOTA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Pickleball Club (TPC), a premier, world-class, indoor pickleball facility and private membership club opening in Sarasota County this winter, welcomes nine new executive team members as it gears up for opening in December 2022.

New team members include Dominic Catalano, general manager; Brian Gradow, controller; Lance Martin, director of operations; Erica Love, director of pickleball; Nova Grande, director of marketing and merchandising; Victoria Rodriguez, club controller; Caitlyn Ralston, event coordinator; Ryan Praefke, director of retail; and Anne Thomas, senior concierge.

Catalano has been involved in the pickleball industry for more than 10 years. He is a tournament level player, certified pickleball teaching professional and a national pickleball authority, appearing as a professional commentator on ESPN, CBS Sports and the Tennis Channel. He is a seven-time US Open Pickleball Championship medalist, and a nationally recognized amateur and professional coach.

Martin is a USPPR coach and an avid pickleball player. He previously worked as an elementary school teacher in Manatee County, as events and programming coordinator for Lakewood Ranch Tennis Center, and for five years with the USTA League program as a league coordinator.

Love is a 5.0 player, US Open Medalist and has already secured her 2022 National Championship Golden Ticket for 5.0 MXD.

The $12 million, 33,000-square-foot facility sits on 2.4 acres and will include 12 indoor pickleball courts, two outdoor courts, a retail shop and café, and will be the first of its kind nationwide.

The entrepreneurs have purchased land for additional locations in three other Florida locations and are in negotiations for four more, with a goal of opening 15 clubs over the next five years.

“There is a huge demand for indoor courts with a country club type membership experience for pickleball, and we have hired some of the best and brightest in the business to launch our first club,” said Brian McCarthy, founder and chief executive officer of The Pickleball Club.

Each club will include more than $1 million in technology, from a sophisticated camera system by PlaySight for training and real time video instruction, to the smart phone software application for members that will create reservations and match players based on rankings.

The exterior structure on the building is now complete and interior work is beginning now.

For more information, go to ThePickleballClub.us.