Announcement

Better customer service, more classes key to Ocean Pines Racquet Sports growth

Thursday, October 1, 2020

(Oct. 2, 2020) Despite some early setbacks because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ocean Pines Racquet Sports operations appear more robust and inclusive than they have in years.

That’s largely because of the new leadership of Racquet Sports Center Facilities Director Tim McMullen and Tennis Director Terry Underkoffler.

Both are former educators, and both have a personal interest in furthering operations because they are avid players and Ocean Pines homeowners.

The recently rebranded Ocean Pines Racquet Center, on 11443 Manklin Creek Road, is unique as the only facility on the Eastern Shore to offer tennis, platform tennis and pickleball in one complex.

That includes eight HAR-TRU (clay) tennis courts, eight permanent pickleball courts, six platform tennis courts, and two hard-surface tennis courts.

McMullen said the HAR-TRU courts, which mimic clay courts popularized in the 1950s and 1960s, are easier on players’ knees and legs.

New leaders, new lessons

McMullen has been a tennis player in Ocean Pines since 1974 and became professionally involved in the sport in 2015, after being convinced to join an early morning tennis group. That group of a dozen players also included Underkoffler.

They developed a friendship and, starting in 2016, McMullen helped Underkoffler coach tennis at nearby Worcester Preparatory School.

Underkoffler had been involved in Ocean Pines Racquet Sports for several years, but his role was elevated after McMullen came on as facilities director last year. Together, they’re leading efforts to reinvigorate all three sports and breathe new life into the center.

“Much of what we’re doing [in Ocean Pines] is because of my relationship with Terry,” McMullen said. “Terry is a United States Tennis Association [USTA]-licensed teacher and he’s doing things here that have never been done before.”

New tennis and pickleball lessons have made a significant impact, according to McMullen. On an average day, he said there can be two or three lessons running simultaneously.

Linda Horst offers pickleball instruction every morning and Bill Gilroy, who teaches at the U.S. Naval Academy, teaches beginners’ tennis.

New to Ocean Pines is Greg Gunther, an instructor with a master’s degree in tennis who has helped lure elite players at the high school and college levels, and beyond.

“That is a real great feature for us,” Underkoffler said. “And these are all programs that weren’t around last year.

“Pickleball instruction, in particular, is just taking off and it’s helping the sport tremendously,” he continued. “It’s attracting both experienced players that want to get better, and those who are new to the sport and that like the fact that it’s fast and active, but they don’t have to run as much.”

Underkoffler offers individual and group tennis lessons, as well as “stroke of the day” clinics, which are free for Racquet Sports members.

Additionally, platform tennis members offer free intro lessons every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. They also offer a free 30-day trial membership.

McMullen said the pickleball courts are perhaps the biggest draw, with players regularly coming from Lewes, Rehoboth and Millsboro in Delaware, as well as Snow Hill and Pocomoke in Worcester County.

“We had a lady who recently drove from Easton to come here, which is an hour and 15 minutes to play pickleball,” McMullen said. “We had a guy from Annapolis two weekends ago introduce himself and say, ‘you guys have a facility here that is unbelievable.’”

On average, McMullen said the racquet center draws about 125 players each day. Underkoffler said the “amount of courts and the quality of the courts” is what makes the facility such a draw.

McMullen said another key to the center’s turnaround is the re-assignment of Bob Grant, from Public Works to specifically helping with Racquet Sports.

“Bob brought in three tons of rock and three tons of mulch, and he re-landscaped everything,” McMullen said. “The fact that we have Bob here means, now, the place is being taken care of.”

A friendly, welcoming atmosphere

Improved customer service has also helped encourage more racquet sports play.

McMullen said the center did not always have a reputation for friendliness and good customer service, but changing that perception was a priority. He said that started with hiring attendants like Brendan Miller, and sisters Mallorie and Julie Parsons, who each live and play racquet sports in Ocean Pines.

Another attendant, Victor Karviva, was part of the morning tennis group with McMullen and Underkoffler and has been a Racquet Sports member since the complex opened.

“These attendants learned the name of every member,” McMullen said. “They greet them every morning, and you’ll see them around doing all kinds of work to make the place look better. They have been phenomenal.”

"What we're hearing from our players, is the place is cleaner and it’s so much more friendly,” Underkoffler said. “They feel that it’s a welcoming environment now. They see the attendants and the attendants greet them by name.”

Last year, he said, some pickleball players didn’t feel welcome at the center.

“This year, they feel like we’re embracing [the sport] and we want to see it grow – and we do,” Underkoffler said. “My goodness, it’s just simple and smart business – if people are flocking to a place, why would you want to turn them away?”

Regular players have noticed the difference

“The people that are running the racquet center are great. It’s definitely better managed than it was,” tennis player Carol Manly said. “The atmosphere and the professionalism is just so much better. Everybody gets greeted with a smile. It is amazing … I would highly recommend it to everyone.”

Deb Downey used to coach at Bennett High School in Salisbury, often facing off against Underkoffler at Worcester Prep. Today, she’s a big fan both of the center and her former rival.

“[In the past], the atmosphere here was so negative and so down, and this year everyone is enjoying it,” she said.

Challenges of a pandemic

McMullen said the center reopened in mid-May, after losing several weeks in April and May to the pandemic.

COVID-19 safety protocols, as of September, included a safe sign-in station that’s set up for social distancing and is regularly cleaned and sanitized.

Attendants now wear masks and make sure there’s plenty of hand sanitizer throughout the complex. Players must also wear masks when signing in, or whenever they’re not actively playing.

Stations throughout the center are spaced-out to help promote social distancing, including the tables with umbrellas that supply shade during hot and humid days.

Mallorie Parsons said players were initially nervous upon returning to the facility, but they quickly became accustomed to the new protocols.

“Once they saw the procedures that we had set up, it put a lot of people at ease. We’ve been really busy, which is great, and people are excited to be outside and get some exercise … and to socially interact with other people, all at a distance,” she said.

“We have a great facility. We have so many courts that are utilized, which is awesome. And we’ve been keeping track of all of our [players’] numbers, so if a case does arise we can contact people and let them know that they might have been exposed,” Parsons added.

A needed expansion

McMullen said he would like to see some improvements at the center, as business there continues to grow. The priority, he said, is building more pickleball courts to accommodate the increase in popularity.

“We’ve got to have more pickleball courts,” McMullen said. “Platform tennis play has been steady, but tennis and pickleball are exploding.”

Underkoffler agreed.

“The numbers at pickleball are just wonderful,” he said. “We get so much outside interest in pickleball here so, obviously, the more people who come the more court space we need.”

Underkoffler said the sport is especially popular in Ocean Pines, because its accessible to all ages and easier on the joints than other sports.

“Even though it’s less taxing, there are so many athletic movements to it that makes it fun and competitive, so players of all ages are just exploding to this,” he said. “We feel that, by helping the sport grow, it’s going to help all of our sports [at the center]. And it’s been a gold mine to have our instructors.”

Underkoffler said the instructional tennis program is also growing, including with children and students just starting out.

“We want to address that growth, but we only have a finite amount of space,” he said, adding there are still some open, grassy areas in the complex that could be repurposed.

"Our strategic plan is looking at, can we add more youth tennis places to play, can we add more pickleball places to play? Can we add and grow all the sports that are growing here? That’s the challenge,” Underkoffler added.

McMullen said he would also like to see more bathrooms at the center. Currently, there are just two for, at times, upwards of 125 people.

“If we’ve upgraded our Yacht Club and we’ve upgraded our [Golf] Clubhouse, why not upgrade our racquet facility to have the best on the shore?” he said.

Going forward

Underkoffler said as the effects of the pandemic eventually subside, Ocean Pines Racquet Sports will continue to grow and expand its offerings, both in terms of instruction and tournament play.

As of late August, the center had two upcoming USTA tournaments scheduled. Platform tennis has a benefit scheduled near the end of September, and pickleball will host a tournament to benefit breast cancer research in October.

McMullen said it’s no coincidence that both he and Underkoffler are former educators, and that they each continue to promote lessons and regular and tournament play.

“This is about recreation and education – it’s both,” he said. “It’s all about fitness for life. It’s about community and it’s about people interacting with each other.”

And, for those who have yet to visit the center, Underkoffler said there’s no time like the present.

“There’s no better time to learn a lifetime sport like tennis, because of the current health situation. We have people playing here in their 80s and they’re still competitive. You certainly can’t play lacrosse in your 80s!”

For more information or to register for Ocean Pines Racquet Sports classes, call Underkoffler at 215-808-6457 or email [email protected].

For general information on the Ocean Pines Racquet Center and racquet sports activities, visit www.oceanpines.org/web/pages/racquet-sports.