Club Bulletin

Communication

Sep 20, 2023

SPORTIME Schenectady Facility Update

Dear Members, Players and Parents:

With fall almost here, we hope that the back-to-school season is going well for all of you. We are very excited to announce that our indoor court buildings, which have been closed for renovation and modernization since the fire, reopened to members this week.

Our #1 goal was to have our indoor courts available for the start of the indoor season, when temperatures get colder and the daylight hours diminish. Thanks to the very hard work of our SPORTIME Engineering Department, led by Pat Nappo, and some wonderful contractors, we have achieved that goal, with indoor courts open for play!

We want you all to be aware of the status of the renovation, the current guidelines for the safe use of the facility and the anticipated timeline for additional phases of the reopening. As you access tennis courts 1-4, and our 5 new, dedicated, pickleball courts, please bear in mind that the restoration and reconstruction of the facility is ongoing, as the structural damage from the fire was severe and required reconstructing entire sections of the building with new steel and concrete. While that work is all done now, there are still a few months of finish work remaining until we are operating at 100% and until normal traffic patterns can be restored.

Accordingly, please note the current procedures in place for SPORTIME facility usage:

  • The main entrance to the club lobby will remain closed at this time. Only contractors have access. The targeted timeline for the reopening of the main entrance and lobby is mid to late October.
  • Until then, Members/Players must continue to enter through the Fitness Center, behind the office trailer in the parking lot.
    The reception desk will remain in the Fitness Center until the main lobby is ready; from which location you can access the Gym, the Daycare, the Bubbled Tennis Courts, and the new Pickleball Courts.
  • To access indoor tennis courts 1-4, please use the door on the outside of that building to the left of the main entrance. In other words, once you check in at reception and confirm that your court assignment is on courts 1-4, you will need to exit the fitness center and walk outside to the side-door entrance to court 1-4. This will only be necessary for another month or so, but this guideline must be followed for your safety.
  • Private lesson and clinic participants must meet your Coaches at the reception desk in the Fitness Center and go with your coaches to your assigned courts.
    Tennis and pickleball seasonal contract and open court-time players, please check in at the reception desk every time you play, as court assignments may change daily or weekly, depending on the on-court access needed by the contractors to complete various installations. Again, it should only be a month or a little longer until these inconveniences are a thing of the past.
  • Bathrooms currently available for use are located in the Fitness Center, in the pool house building near the outdoor tennis courts, and in a mobile trailer outside of the indoor court 1-4 entrance. We cannot wait to unveil our beautiful, modern locker rooms in the months to come, with our target date for member/player access sometime in November.
    New blue backdrop curtains for indoor tennis courts 1-4 are scheduled to arrive October 7th and will be installed immediately. We are temporarily installing blue tarps to cover and protect the new insulation and to allow for better visibility and tracking of the ball.  
  • Water bottle refill stations are located downstairs in the Fitness Center and outside next to the pool house.
  • We ask that members refrain from going to the second floor of the Fitness Center, which is now the permanent location of our Daycare Center.
  • Spectating from the lobby is not yet available, and we request that any on-court spectating be cleared in advance with your tennis coach. Coaches will try and be flexible to accommodate parents or guardians on-court for our youngest students, or for players with special needs or circumstances. However, if too many parents/guests congregate on-court, it becomes difficult for the players and coaches to run effective, professional programming, so we ask that parents please support us over the coming weeks by being on-court with your players only when absolutely necessary.

If you have any concerns about your court-time, programs, or more, please contact Sarah Sharpe at [email protected] or call the club at 518-356-0100. We can help you to reschedule any missed contract dates or sessions, or to schedule them on the outdoor courts.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon and to welcoming you all back to the new and improved SPORTIME Schenectady!

Sincerely,

The SPORTIME Schenectady Team