Inspired by the love of the game, West Boylston retiree opens indoor pickleball facility

WEST BOYLSTON – Five years into retirement from decades of working in the computer data networking industry, Ben Minsk knew he needed to find something to do with his free time.

A friend suggested pickleball, but the 66-year-old had played neither the sport nor its close cousin — tennis.

Minsk's experience was focused on selling high-tech equipment for companies like Excelan, Wellfleet Communications and others. Sports similar to pickleball had never been a priority.

Despite that, he gave it a chance, picking up a paddle in his mid-60s.

That was two years ago.

On Feb. 1, Minsk will open the doors to an eight-court pickleball complex called Rt. 12 Pickle at the Wachusett Plaza in West Boylston.

He says he was partially inspired by “the love of the game.

“There’s no ‘one thing’ that I like about the sport,” Minsk said. “Everything about it — the social aspect, the competition, the ease of play. You don’t have to be a super athlete to play it. It’s just very addictive.”

Contractors were hard at work Monday, as the commotion of drills reverberated through the 30,000-square-foot space once home to Salter College, a school that anchored the Wachusett Plaza offering vocational training and associate degrees from 2007 until 2019.

In the coming days, eight pickleball courts will take shape there.

For Minsk, the concept of a location dedicated to pickleball first came together in November 2022, “at least in my head."

But it wasn’t until almost a year later, in October, that work started to transform the inside of the building from a school to a sports complex.

Minsk said a great push to open Rt. 12 Pickle was also the lack of indoor locations dedicated to the sport.

“And they are on limited schedules,” added Minsk. “Also all you can do is do what's called drop-in play, so anybody can play.

“That can be kind of frustrating because sometimes you have to play with people that you don't really want to play with.”

When Minsk’s location opens in West Boylston, it will embody the local presence of the nationwide boom of the sport's popularity.

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, with 8.9 million players in the U.S. in 2022 — an estimated 158% growth in popularity in three years.

While Rt. 12 Pickle will be the first indoor pickleball complex in the county, another one is taking shape in Sturbridge. With six courts, that one could open as early as winter 2024.

The sport is played with a paddle bigger than the one used in table tennis which two players use to whack back and forth a plastic, perforated ball that is a few holes away from a Wiffle ball.

Pickleball courts measure about the size of a badminton court, slightly smaller than a tennis court.

Glenn Rochon, the program director at Rt. 12 Pickle, said instruction and education will take an important place in the business model.

“Introduction to pickleball is going to be huge,” said Rochon. “We will also have middle-level and intermediate programs, leagues and tournament events. We’re expecting to be busy.”

For instruction, Rochon hired six coaches for the programs, most of them certified by the Professional Pickleball Association.

Rochon, who has “a long experience” in teaching tennis, turned to pickleball after the sport won him over in 2019.

What makes pickleball interesting, according to him, is how easy it is to get from knowing nothing about it to the point where one enjoys it.

“It’s easier to pick up than tennis or table tennis takes to get good at,” said Rochon. “Other sports carry over, such as volleyball players or the golf swing and any of the racquet sports really carry on."

Minsk said he was also approved for a beer-and-wine license for after sessions. He’s also keeping the door open to bringing in a massage therapist for the players.

Even as the space has a fresh coat of white paint and new bolts are being tightened, Minsk said that his plan will be to focus on developing Rt. 12 Pickle as well as he can for the next five years.

After that, he will consider his options.

“I don't want to be over 70 running a business necessarily,” said Minsk, half joking. “I'll either get someone else to run it or I'll sell it.

“Pickleball is going to continue to grow and get bigger and bigger, and bigger companies are going to come into this business. I really believe that.”

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: New indoor pickleball complex set to open at Wachusett Plaza