At the new Rally Sports and Social Club on 6600 High Ridge Road, pickleball enthusiasts reveled in a sprawling facility spanning 20,000 square feet, complete with seven indoor courts. Brian McMahon, Rally’s chief pickleball officer, expressed excitement about the venue’s capacity for large-scale events.
Partnering with Paddle Tap Pickleball, renowned for organizing tournaments and crafting top-notch pickleball gear, the weekend event showed why pickleball has soared in popularity.
“About two and a half years ago, Duane and I met each other on the pickleball court. We talked about the opportunity to work together and create our own company.” – (Paddle Tap Pickleball owners Alan Laymon and Duane Patchin)
Dynamic Duos
Among the standout duos were Kyle Kelman and Mackie Feierstein, whose chemistry on the court captured the audience’s attention. Despite a challenging start with a loss in their first match, Kelman, 15, and Feierstein, 48, highlighted their newfound partnership and determination to improve.
“We can communicate well together. Our shots complement each other. I think we play well together.” – (Kelman)
“I was doing a private lesson, and he joined, and we had a good connection out there, and we’ve been practicing the last few weeks.” – (Feierstein)
The tournament’s ultimate win went to brothers Rey and Robby Greenlaw from Fort Myers. Their path to victory wasn’t without hurdles, navigating a sudden-death showdown in the championship round.
“It’s tough out there these days. We’re trying to get the chemistry going, but we did good today.” – (Robby Greenlaw)
“That last serve was crazy, man. It was probably about 35 miles per hour. Real nice. Just put the ball in play and make them play.” shared Greenlaw, reflecting on their strategy of consistency and forcing opponents to engage.