Vortex Pickleball Club with Lori Prescott

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It really became a jarring experience. So instead of getting salty, I put my nose to the brine stone and launched this show. And now I get to talk to people who are doing fun and positive things around Washington County. Wisconsin, it's not your Vlasic podcast. As you know, pickleball is becoming a rather big dill, and I'm officially done with the puns now.

Lori Prescott joins me this week to talk about the new business that she and her husband are opening very soon in West Bend. It's called Vortex Pickleball Club. With that, here are 15 minutes on the Vortex Pickleball Club with Lori Prescott right here on 15 Minutes with Fuzz

All right, Lori, thank you for coming in. First, let's start by talking a little bit about the sport of pickleball itself It's been obviously growing in popularity tremendously over the past few years. It seems to be picking up speed and momentum every single year. Why do you think pickleball has become such a popular sport both here in Southeastern Wisconsin and nationally?

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And so, with that, I mean, you need time to improve, to become excellent or a pro player, but anyone can pick this up and play with paddles and balls and friends and get going. Get going right away.

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Pickleball has become their identity. Let's talk, how did you get started with pickleball? Where did your passion for this come into play?

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And then all of a sudden, like, well, now I'm doing that. Now I'm liking that. It's different. I like it. And so where we began was just playing with our kids. We were on an Arizona vacation trip and the courts, for basketball, which our sons really enjoyed, started being taken over by pickleball courts.

And so we're like, Hey, let's try this. So it began, and so that was like seven, eight years ago, and then it went from there.

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So, for those who haven't played Pickleball, and I know that number of people who haven't is shrinking, but can you give us an overview of the game? How is it played? How many people play it? Those kind of things.

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And what happens is it's kind of like either an enlarged ping pong court or a Smaller version of a tennis court, so to speak. And so then there's about two sides. There's also a place in the kitchen or what's called the kitchen. It's close to the net. It's seven feet off of the net on each side. And if you don't like cooking, that's a great spot for you because you can be in that kitchen or can't be in the kitchen while you play.

So, so what happens as you serve from the baseline? And you serve a cross court to your partner, or I mean to the other team, and they return serve, it has to bounce on that first return, and then you can play out of the air after that. Okay. Most people try to stay out of the kitchen, but really what needs to happen, if you are in the kitchen, the ball just has to bounce once before you touch it.

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From there. So they just started to play that way in their backyard.

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newsletter and marketing stuff, it's crazy how big this has gotten. Right! And speaking of that, you're in the process of opening a new club called Vortex pickleball club. So what inspired you to say, you know what, I'm, I'm going to open a pickleball club?

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And so, as everyone either is aging or experiencing this new sport, we wanted to create a social, atmosphere for them as well. And so the space was empty. We saw that Boston store sign for a while, which really bugged my husband to have visibly coming into the city of West Bend and we, he wanted to tear it down.

And so Vortex was born. And so when we viewed the spot, the posts lined up, how they had that, the space lined up. And so we went from there and the love of the sport. Drew us in and the love of having social activities as well.

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So behind Dunham's? Correct.

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So yeah, all of the shelving that Boston Store had there for their specialty items are now removed. So there was a lot of demo that had to take place, and a building that has been sitting for quite some time needed a little bit of TLC. Um, so the landlords there did help us by putting in a new roof and a new HVAC.

So the air conditioning and heating will be amazing. First, First one out of the gate to be using it at Vortex. So that's great. Then, we have gone around and made sure obviously all the little things, drywall, the bathrooms that were there, they were quite tiny. So we expanded those for having changing space.

We've also added, private shower rooms or restrooms, so that people can shower in those rooms. We'll add lockers. What we've added or what I've really enjoyed is. adding the overlook lounge. So we had the opportunity to have seven courts, but we decided on six for that social aspect, making an overlook lounge, having places to sit, having places for people to stay and socialize and communicate and look at everybody else playing the sport or watch them while they're in a tournament or otherwise.

So we added that. We are having to make it conducive for sight lines. So the front doors or our front doors are very bright. So we have to put up, window stickers so to speak, and block that lighting coming in on to one of our showcoats so that people can see the ball in there. And they're um, Viewing line.

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And so that that bounce is. Specific to pick a ball for the players that are playing it. Uh, we have state of the art lighting that we've had to add so that, when you look up for a overhead smash kind of thing that you might be doing, you won't get blinded by those lights. And so they will, be lined on every court.

And then we also have other things put in place, like I said, acoustically around, um, the building. And most importantly, we're going to be putting in a bar. All right.

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And then, we are putting in a kitchenette as well. So that means that that social aspect, you everybody can bring in meals or snacks to share you, it's full access to everybody that's there. Community use. Yeah. And things like that.

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Exactly. You can, yeah. Corporate

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So, so you'll have memberships. Will people have to be members or will they be, there'll be an option to be. Like a pay per play or things like that as well. Right.

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And so, but not everybody might know the sport yet. Mm-Hmm. . They might wanna just try it out. We don't want to deter anyone from doing that. So of course we'll have that drop in play, the open play, the skills, instructions, the lessons and et cetera. So yes, there'll be opportunities for. Either the one timer that will turn into an annual member, possibly, or, you know, monthly memberships as well, just to say, hey, I just want to try this out for a little while and come aboard, but really what we're hoping for is that annual or VIP membership

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You get hooked and then you're going to be a Vortex member and yeah. Right. Now, with that. I saw that you guys are going to offer 24 7 access. Is that right?

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So if you're going off to work and you want to play at 6am or, or you're getting off work late and you want to play at 10pm, you have that availability to do so as well.

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And for the club itself and anyone that's in it.

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We will have, what has either been called permanent court time in some realms, otherwise leagues, tournaments. Social mixers, and like I said, private events or corporate events, mandatory fun days for anybody in the business realm that wants to come and play for the day.

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So they're super excited as well. And that's really great to see because then, It grows. The, the camaraderie, the, socializing, the playing at everybody else's space, and maybe there can be, some interleague going on, something like that, between clubs even. Sure.

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And people, again, love it. So, obviously. Great idea opening a pickleball club. Can you share some of maybe your personal stories or experiences that you've had with pickleball or the community of pickleball that have, kind of made you love the sport more?

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However, with the, openness that pickleball can draw in like what you said. Anyone can play. Your 80 year old grandmother, your 15 year old son, everybody can play and then it become a part of this pickleball family, so to speak. And that's what I've seen. Like, if it hasn't, like, maybe that's your sport as a volleyball, maybe tennis is your sport, maybe soccer, basketball, pickleball, it seems like it's everybody's sport.

So that's what's so fun to see. Yeah. Everyone want to enjoy it.

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And so we are always working off of donations and things like that. So, Myself would be interested in having a pickleball tournament for Family Promise and raising funds that way. But I've also been approached by other civic groups and other, non profit groups that want to raise funds and have a pickleball tournament.

I know there's one for Alzheimer's, the Senior Center has asked. Rotary Club has asked, et cetera. And then furthermore, corporate events, those mandatory fun days that I was joking about. However, West Bend Mutual Insurance has already reached out to have two different events for two different, groups that they have at their business.

And then Delta Defense is in our backyard, and I know they participate in mandatory fun days, so they'll be there as well. And you just mentioned that you are going to have a work party there.

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So we're always looking for a place to do these kind of things. And, you know, we've done bowling, we've done, you know, hikes, we've done non profit kind of events and this pickleball will be a great idea. So, I'll be passing this along to Lindsey from our team very soon. If somebody has never played the sport, the game of Pickleball, And they want to get started.

What is the best way to do so?

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We also have our own personal, VORTEX app through court reserve. Court Reserve. So you can go on Google Play or Apple and look up the app and then book and find out more that way as well.

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So, so: 2002

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If you ever have an idea for a guest for this show, send it my way, fuzz at fuzzmartin. com. That is fuzz at fuzzmartin. com. You can also text me or leave me a voicemail at 262 299 FUZZ. That is 262 299 FUZZ. 3 8 9 9, or use the suggested guest form fuzz. cc slash guest. That is fuzz. cc slash guest. See so many ways to get in touch.

New episodes coming on Tuesdays, all available at fuzzmartin. com, Spotify, Apple podcasts. YouTube or whichever app you prefer podcasts in. Next week I'm joined by Buck Blodgett of the Love Is Greater Than Hate Project for some updates on their organization and I'll talk to you then, right here on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.