S2E2: Pickleball Group Fitness - Unique Programming, Pricing & Profits with Guest Ryan Van Winkle

Welcome to the Business of Pickleball, your go-to podcast for industry insights. If you're in the pickleball business, staying informed is crucial. This podcast offers interviews with leaders actively building pickleball enterprises.

Today’s episode features hosts Robert Allen and David Feldman discussing a specialized insurance solution for pickleball clubs—the Pickleball Insurance Program (PIP). PIP provides tailored coverage quickly and easily at pippprogram.com or visit their booth at the Pickleball Brief Business Summit.

After a holiday break and successful summit, we're back with an exciting guest who shares our passion for fitness in sports—Ryan Van Winkle. Ryan has developed innovative applications within racket sports through his company Bounce, focusing on teaching and learning efficiency.

Ryan introduces the Racket Fitness Experience (RFX), which merges group fitness with racket sports, similar to OrangeTheory or CrossFit but tailored to pickleball. The program involves engaging classes using resistance bands suitable for all fitness levels, offering both play sessions and high-intensity interval training on specially designed tetra courts.

This approach not only improves player performance but also attracts new participants who are interested in fun ways to stay fit rather than traditional gym routines. RFX aims to create inclusive experiences that can bring more people into racket sports by providing diverse programming options similar to those offered by gyms.

For club owners looking to enhance member engagement and retention, incorporating unique programs like RFX can be beneficial. It creates community vibes while adding value beyond regular gameplay—perfect for attracting non-traditional players seeking enjoyable fitness alternatives.

To support participating clubs further, RFX limits partnerships geographically, ensuring exclusivity while assisting them in marketing efforts both physically at venues as well as digitally across social media platforms—helping maximize visibility among potential members locally interested in not just playing but experiencing something fresh within their routine workouts!

People might discover they enjoy pickleball by combining it with other sports, like football. This approach is similar to what RFX does by tapping into the fitness market. Clubs can target gym-goers and offer them a fun new class, drawing in fresh audiences beyond just pickleball enthusiasts.

Pickleball clubs have an edge because it's easy to learn but hard to master, unlike tennis which can be intimidating for beginners. With structured games and courts, even newcomers can quickly enjoy the sport and join leagues or tournaments.

Club owners should focus on marketing strategies that attract diverse groups since relying solely on existing enthusiasts won't sustain growth. Offering injury prevention classes could keep members engaged longer without injuries affecting participation rates.

RFX aims to create a community through its group fitness programs designed for racket sports. Unlike endurance-based activities, where competition is individualistic, these programs promote interaction among players while ensuring safety during exercises.

The business model involves revenue sharing with no upfront costs for clubs; instead of licensing fees alone as initially planned before feedback showed preference towards shared earnings between parties involved—aligning incentives better overall!

We adapted our business model, offering an annual license fee for all-inclusive clubs where revenue sharing is complex. We're exploring integrating our format into court reservation apps to track reservations effectively.

We've begun discussions with leading software companies like Court Reserve and Play by Point. With enough clubs on board, we're looking at adding a simple UI button for RFX classes—a straightforward integration that benefits everyone involved.

Financially, it's crucial for club owners to explore new programming opportunities as margins are tight. Innovative ideas like ours could provide significant additional income, potentially making the difference between survival and closure for some clubs.

With growing awareness of health and wellness initiatives in the U.S., there's potential to integrate RFX into insurance plans, particularly benefiting seniors. Additionally, kids enjoy these classes due to their fun format and engaging activities.

We're considering expanding beyond pickleball clubs but want to maintain brand integrity by ensuring quality experiences across different venues. The environment significantly impacts user experience; thus, maintaining high standards is essential.

Currently focused on certifying more clubs nationwide in early 2025, we aim to engage with multi-sport facilities interested in innovative design and technology within racket sports. Visit rfxfitness.com or contact us directly if you're interested in collaborating or learning more about our offerings.

Thank you for joining this conversation about merging pickleball with group fitness—it's a win-win situation enhancing players' health while supporting club growth. Stay informed through Pickleball Brief's updates at subscribe.pickleballbrief.com until next time!