Listen to this articleSportime Pickleball, a division of Kings Park-based Sportime Clubs, is partnering with a global sports equipment company in its ongoing pickleball facility expansion.
JOOLA, a Rockville, Md.-based maker of pickleball paddles and related products, will be providing equipment to players, coaches and students at Sportime Pickleball locations throughout New York and New Jersey. JOOLA will also provide ongoing support for Sportime special events and charitable initiatives throughout the year, according to a company statement.
“As a leader and innovator in the sport of pickleball, JOOLA is thrilled to partner with individuals and businesses dedicated to the growth of the game,” Richard Lee, CEO and owner of JOOLA, said in the statement. “Sportime Pickleball’s top-notch facilities continue to elevate the sport by providing best-in-class experiences for communities across the New York tri-state area, and we’re excited JOOLA is able to support the growing passion for this sport in this region.”
Founded in Germany in 1952, JOOLA, a combination of Jooss and Landau, started out making table tennis equipment, eventually dominating the sport’s U.S. market. JOOLA, which served as the official table sponsor for USA Table Tennis for many years, was acquired in 2019 by Sports Squad Inc., the manufacturer’s Rockville, Md.-based U.S. distributor.
In 2022, JOOLA launched its pickleball division, which supplies a wide variety of paddles, nets, balls and other accessories. The company’s pickleball products are available at sports facilities throughout the world, including at Life Time Health Clubs in Garden City and Syosset and Pickle N Par in Nesconset, and now JOOLA equipment will be available at Sportime Pickleball locations.
“Sportime Pickleball is excited to add JOOLA as one of our platinum partners,” Joseph Siegel, Sportime Pickleball’s managing director, said in the statement. “JOOLA is a true industry leader in paddle technology and our partnership will allow us to provide our players with some of the best paddles on the market, at the best possible prices. We are also excited to work with JOOLA to create special pickleball events throughout the year, including tournaments, parties and charitable programming. JOOLA has been supportive of our vision and we look forward to working with them for many years to come.”
Sportime Pickleball is in the midst of a major expansion of its facilities. Great Neck-based Hornig Capital Partners has been working on a $2.5 million redevelopment in Westbury to create a 30,000-square-foot pickleball facility for Sportime Pickleball that’s slated to open soon.
The new Westbury venue, designed by Mojo Stumer Associates, will be housed in three buildings on 1.6 acres at 575 Merrick Ave. and feature 13 indoor pickleball courts, a café, pro shop, two party rooms, new locker rooms and showers. The developer is also working on new Sportime Pickleball facilities in Armonk, Englewood, N.J. and Wayne, N.J.
Founded in 1994, Sportime Clubs has more than 190 indoor and outdoor tennis and pickleball courts, fitness clubs and sports arenas. Earlier this year, Sportime and Hornig Capital completed an $8 million renovation of its 200,000-square-foot Sportime John McEnroe Tennis Academy in Port Washington, which now has 13 tennis courts and 12 pickleball courts.