Thunderstorms this evening with a few showers possible overnight. Low 61F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..
Thunderstorms this evening with a few showers possible overnight. Low 61F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
TC Tennis Racquet’s Alexi Lewis at the new store on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
The TC Tennis Racquet on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
Tennis and pickle ball gear at TC Tennis Racquet on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
Vintage tennis racquets cover a wall inside TC Tennis Racquet on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
TC Tennis Racquet on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
Former Martinek’s Jewelry owner Paul Everts is operating Paul's Jewelry Repair three days a week out of the former business at 950 Duell Road.
TC Tennis Racquet’s Alexi Lewis at the new store on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
The TC Tennis Racquet on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
Tennis and pickle ball gear at TC Tennis Racquet on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
Vintage tennis racquets cover a wall inside TC Tennis Racquet on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
TC Tennis Racquet on Woodmere Avenue in Traverse City.
Former Martinek’s Jewelry owner Paul Everts is operating Paul's Jewelry Repair three days a week out of the former business at 950 Duell Road.
TRAVERSE CITY — If tennis is your racquet, a Traverse City store that opened earlier this summer has it covered.
If pickleball is more your passion, paddle on in to the same Woodmere Avenue store.
TC Tennis Racquet owner Dane Fosgard said business has been brisk since he opened a storefront June 9 in the Woodmere Commons. It helps that Fosgard has a connection with the local tennis community thanks to his three years coaching both the girls and boys high school teams at Traverse City St. Francis, in addition to his certification with the United States Professional Tennis Association.
“We’ve got a lot of business from local high school tennis teams, tourists as well as local pickleball players,” Fosgard said.
“The tennis community has been so supportive,” said Doreen Fosgard, who works part-time at TC Tennis, including on a sunny Friday afternoon. “Everybody that Dane has given lessons to and their parents, plus all the people driving by and seeing that we’re open. But pickleball is just ramping up.”
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport for the second year in a row, according to February 2022 article from USA Pickleball, which cited the 2022 Sports and Fitness Industry Association Topline Participation Report. The SFIA study found pickleball participation grew nearly 40% between 2019 and 2021 to 4.8 million player.
At TC Tennis Racquet, Dane Fosgard reported the sport NBC News described as “a hybrid of badminton, pingpong and tennis” accounts for about 35% of activity in the 741 Woodmere Ave. store.
“It has surprised me,” he said. “Pickleball players are just like tennis players, always looking for the newest and best products and we have all of it. We have a huge inventory.”
Dane Fosgard said the region has responded to the surge in pickleball interest by converting some outdoor courts to the sport or at least adding the option.
“There’s a ton,” he said. “Traverse City has probably the most outdoor tennis and pickleball courts in the state.”
Fosgard said the region is a little behind in the number of indoor courts for tennis and/or pickleball, saying the number can be counted on two hands.
It only takes one hand to count the number of stores specializing in tennis in Michigan, Fosgard said. Gear to play tennis and pickleball is available in sporting good and other stores, but the number specializing in tennis is a little scarce.
“There’s the Tennis Connection in Grand Rapids, Tennis and Golf in Detroit and us,” Fosgard said. “Each company is serving a wide range of customers. We get people from Petoskey, Cadillac. We get people from all over.”
A couple of young tennis players stopped into TC Tennis Racquet before closing time on Friday. Glen Lake High School junior Jaiden Thompson was looking at a Babolat Pure Strike racquet for the tennis team.
Thompson was looking at a new racquet on the recommendation of teammate Ben Selby.
“He told me about this place,” Thompson said. “I was demoing with his racquet today.”
In addition to offering equipment for tennis and racquetball, TC Tennis Racquet also emphasizes service. Doreen Fosgard said her son has two restringing machines and is looking to purchase another after the U.S. Open tournament.
“His niche is service,” Fosgard said of her son. “He can usually restring a racquet and get it back to you in one or two days.”
“Racquet (repair) and racquet restringing,” Dane Fosgard said. “We’re very busy with racquet restringing. We have a top of the line stringing machine and all the best string on the market.
“When we take a racquet in, we inspect it and make sure the racquet is in good condition. If not, we recommend a more recent model they can transition into.”
In addition to equipment to play tennis or pickleball, Dane Fosgard said TC Tennis Racquet has a wide range of apparel for men and women.
TC Tennis Racquet is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except when the owner is on the road attending a show. Dane Fosberg said TC Tennis Racquet is eyeing staying open during the winter, but he said he needs to rehire his current staff because of college and retirement commitments, which includes his mother.
TC Tennis Racquet is in the spot that was home for the last two years for Top Drawer Consignment Furniture, which had relocated to Woodmere Commons after 22 years at 1115 E. Eighth St.
Top Drawer Consignment Furniture opened July 1 in the former home of Martinek’s Jewelry at 950 Duell Road, which runs parallel to South Airport Road, just east of Garfield Avenue. Now there are furniture in place of the jewelry cases and staged rooms in the former offices.
“It’s been great here, too,” Top Drawer Consignment Furniture owner Rick Carmean said. “For me it’s worked out great. The landlords over there were great. It was a good fit for both of us.”
Carmean said he discussed renting out space in his new location when longtime friend and table tennis rival Paul Everts announced this spring he was closing Martinek’s Jewelry earlier this year.
Martinek’s Jewelry was in business for 144 years and at Duell Road since 2013.
But Everts isn’t entirely out of the business despite closing.
Paul’s Jewelry Repair is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday in his repair space at the back of the store.
“It’s worked out well for both of us,” Carmean said. “He’s a blast to work with. So far so good for the both of us.”
"Traverse City has probably the most outdoor tennis and pickleball courts in the state."
Dane Fosgard, owner of TC Tennis Racquet
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