The Moorestown Zoning Board approved Ace Pickleball Club’s plans to open a location at the East Gate Square shopping center last month. The location is expected to open this fall.
Franchisees Ira Krassen and Eric Danvers opened their first location in Voorhees last May and their second in Vernon Hills, Illinois, last December.
“Our business model is built around open play,” Krassen said. “The idea being that you don’t have to have a group, you just come out to our facility … and you just play a game. For new players, we have what we call the pickleball one on one, where you can sign up, come on out and – for free – we will teach you some of the rules. We’ll provide you with a paddle to play with, so you can come out and experience pickleball for free on your first time out.
“And for newer players,” Krassen added, “you’re playing with people who have never played before, and we encourage you to stay after that pickleball one-on-one session and play with the people who you just took the class with, and that’s how you really build your community and get comfortable playing with people and get comfortable with the sport.”
Each Ace Pickleball location offers a variety of programs and events for both members and guests, including tournaments, social mixers, private events, clinics and round robins. Courts are organized by skill level so players can rotate into games whenever they arrive, removing the need for members to schedule or coordinate with other players.
The 32,9500-square-foot location in the township will have 11 courts, according to the Moorestown Patch. It will occupy the former Michael’s store and space that was previously part of the Staples next door. Members can play anytime the club is open, with no reservations required. Members can also reserve courts at no extra cost.
“Anybody can get out and play pickleball, in any physical condition,” Krassen explained. “(We’ve) had so many members that are using pickleball for the first time in their lives to play a physical activity that will help them get in shape, and they feel comfortable, and they’re not worried about injuring themselves.”
In its 2023 Topline Participation Report, the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America for the third year in a row, according to USA Pickleball. According to that report, pickleball is now up to a total of 8.9 million players in the U.S. over the age of 6 years old, an increase from 4.8 million in 2022.
Pickleball continues to grow worldwide, with many new international clubs forming and national governing bodies now established on multiple continents.
“The beautiful thing about this sport is that anybody can play at any skill level,” Krassen noted.
