LEESBURG, Va. /PRNewswire/ — The USTA Mid-Atlantic Tennis Campus – a planned best-in-class hub for health, wellness and community-building through sport – is now a critical step closer with the decision by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to approve the zoning application for the Village at Clear Springs. A key amenity within the Village at Clear Springs, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Tennis Campus will offer a transformative upgrade of indoor and outdoor courts and resources that will make it a year-round regional hub for economic growth and engaging environments that positively enhance lives.

In addition to the approval, the USTA has pledged $2.5 million in grant funding to the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation to invest in this critical, community-based infrastructure and support the mission to grow tennis.

“USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation celebrates the approval of the zoning application for the Village at Clear Springs,” said Tara Fitzpatrick-Navarro, Chief Executive Officer, USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation. “This important decision along with an unprecedented funding commitment are crucial steps forward that allow us to succeed in our ambitious vision to increase access to tennis for all people providing physical, social and emotional health benefits for today’s youth and adults of all ages.”

The USTA Mid-Atlantic Tennis Campus is planned to be open to the public and will feature 21 outdoor tennis courts, including a stadium center court, 10 indoor tennis courts, 8 outdoor pickleball courts and 12 indoor pickleball courts which will also be used for youth tennis, cardio tennis and beginner tennis instruction for adults. The tennis campus will feature space for fitness, wellness programs, community gatherings and large-scale competitions and events. It will serve as an accessible hub for health, education and fun, while being an important economic engine estimated to generate $8.5 million annually in economic impact. 

“One of the most important aspects of the tennis campus is the ability to extend into the community and activate the higher benefits of sport among those who may be under-resourced,” said Beth Twomey, Chief Operating Officer, USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation. “Especially fundamental to the vision for the campus are community outreach and education programs that will help under-resourced youth and support schools through tennis, education and physical activity. We have built strong relationships in the county and are already taking action, now we can build on this momentum to create long-term and sustainable approaches through tennis and sport that create community, character, and well-being for all.”

The USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation has invested $10 million in the project and is actively seeking lead corporate sponsors and donors to help achieve the vision and be an instrumental part of the tennis campus. The tennis campus project is anticipated to cost $42 million and the groundbreaking is planned for 2025.

For more information about the tennis campus, including ways to get involved visit https://ustamidatlantictenniscampus.com/.

View the tennis campus renderings here.

About USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation:
USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Our mission is to promote and develop the growth of tennis. Our vision is tennis in EVERY community. For 100 years USTA Mid-Atlantic has been the leader for tennis in the region. We operate leagues, tournaments, and other outreach programs and events throughout the region for more than 30,000 adult and youth members in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and eastern and southern West Virginia. We support the community providers, facilities, and coaches that directly deliver the sport.

Follow us on social media at:
https://www.facebook.com/ustamidatlantic/
https://www.instagram.com/ustamidatlantic/

SOURCE USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation

LONDON /PRNewswire/ — RacketPal, a leading UK sports tech business, today announces that the Company has achieved a number of significant growth milestones and has launched a strategic review to ensure that the business continues to develop and grow, both here in the UK and internationally (the “Strategic Review”). 

Founded in 2019, London-headquartered RacketPal is the largest racket sports community in the UK that helps players be more physically active by encouraging them to be part of active communities, find local partners and games, book coaching lessons and join nearby clubs and venues. The business has previously raised millions of pounds, and the tech behind the RacketPal platform is of the highest calibre and is fully scalable – a new sport can be added very quickly with only a few clicks.

RacketPal has achieved significant user growth (126% year-on-year), with over 125,000 registered users; 6,000 club communities have been created to date.  The business recently launched a B2B offering which helps venues, clubs and leisure centres increase sport participation and bookings.

In the last 12 months, RacketPal has rolled out a number of product enhancements, such as wearables and contacts integration, double leagues, communities section, court booking shortcuts, added 5 new racket sports and implemented various safeguarding and safekeeping initiatives on the platform.

Robert Rizea, CEO and Co-founder of RacketPal, said “Our mission is to be the largest and most engaged sports community in the world; we have focused first on racket sports as there are 7 million racket sports players in the UK and 800 million players worldwide, but our platform can easily be adapted to cover any sport. We have achieved incredible growth and we are excited about what the future holds for us.”.

The Strategic Review includes RacketPal reviewing all its options, such as a growth investment and a full sale of the business. Exploratory conversations have already commenced with a number of potential domestic and international firms. The Strategic Review is being handled exclusively by Lazarus Consulting, the boutique M&A advisory firm.

ABOUT RACKETPAL

Launched in 2019 and available on the web, iOS and Android, RacketPal is a racket sports community where users can find local racket sports players, courts, clubs and instructors in seconds. RacketPal currently covers Tennis, Badminton, Table Tennis, Squash, Padel Tennis, Pickleball, Racquetball and Platform Tennis. Prior to launching RacketPal, Robert Rizea, RacketPal‘s Co-founder and CEO, was a No 1 ranked tennis player in Romania for 6 years. Please see www.racketpal.co.uk for more information.

ABOUT LAZARUS CONSULTING

Lazarus Consulting is an award-winning boutique advisory firm offering Business Development, Capital Raising, Corporate Development, and M&A services to clients primarily in the tech, media, and retail sectors. The firm is the exclusive corporate finance advisor to RacketPal. Please see www.lazarusconsulting.net for more information.

SOURCE RacketPal

CHANHASSEN, Minn. /PRNewswire/ — Life Time (NYSE: LTH) is celebrating National Pickleball Month with the opening of its first dedicated, ground-up pickleball development on April 8, 2024.

Life Time Chanhassen Pickleball is located adjacent to the Life Time Chanhassen, Minn., athletic country club and the Company’s headquarters. Spanning a total of nearly 46,000 square feet, the club features eight indoor and seven outdoor courts with accompanying viewing areas, a bar and lounge, dressing rooms, retail and more.

In 2021, Life Time committed to quickly become the premier destination for pickleball in the United States. Since that time, the company has grown as the largest owner and operator of pickleball courts, with more than 630 across more than 130 athletic country clubs. Life Time saw staggering growth in members embracing the sport from 2021 through 2023, and the popularity of pickleball continues to grow exponentially nationwide with more than 36.5 million pickleball players today. 

To continue Life Time’s efforts to elevate the profile, programming, leagues and community of tennis and pickleball, the Company created the Life Time Pickleball and Tennis Board in February 2024. Led by tennis legend and pickleball enthusiast, Andre Agassi, and Bahram Akradi, Life Time Founder, Chairman and CEO, the board will serve to further advance a vibrant racquet sports community within Life Time clubs and across the country by fostering awareness, excitement, and support for the sports among people of all ages and skill levels. Life Time already boasts lessons, leagues, clinics, tournaments and more for kids and adults.

Life Time members with a Premier membership will have the opportunity to experience the new destination’s pickleball open play, leagues, tournaments, skill building and much more. A limited number of memberships are available.

In Minnesota, Life Time operates more than 84 pickleball courts across 15 locations. For more information, including membership details, visit the Life Time Pickleball website.

Pictures of Life Time Chanhassen Pickleball can be found linked here.

About Life Time®
Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its portfolio of more than 170 athletic country clubs across the United States and Canada. The Company’s healthy way of life communities and ecosystem address all aspects of healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment for people 90 days to 90+ years old. Supported by a team of more than 37,000 dedicated professionals, Life Time is committed to providing the best programs and experiences through its clubs, iconic athletic events and comprehensive digital platform.

SOURCE Life Time, Inc.