Sports
Tennis Anyone? The Vibrant Tennis Scene in Peachtree Corners
It’s time to get into the backswing of things. For tennis lovers of every age, stage and skill level, there is a place in Peachtree Corners to pick up a racquet.
Where to Play
Peachtree Corners Swim & Racquet Club
People make quite a racquet about Peachtree Corners Swim & Racquet Club (PCSR) because of the vast amenities it offers member families for recreation, quality exercise and more. It boasts four lit tennis courts with covered seating areas on each side, reservable through their website or app. Other features include a six-lane junior Olympic sized pool, playground, ping pong table, tetherball court, basketball court, volleyball court and a seasonal pavilion.
There are many teams that compete out of PCSR, in the respected tennis organizations of Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) and United States Tennis Association (USTA). This spans to adult men’s and women’s teams, as well as mixed doubles. Teams are open to club members, but non-club members can play out of the club for an additional fee.
“Peachtree Corners has a vibrant tennis community across multiple clubs and neighborhoods, so you don’t have to travel very far to get a match in,” PCSR Membership Chair Sonny Pieper said.
Tennis is a social sport with a broad appeal, bringing people from all walks of life together to work out and have a blast. PCSR Tennis Chair Ryan Corley first joined a weekly Sunday women’s team for beginners, before eventually stepping to a leadership role.
“I only started playing tennis myself the last three years, because there was an opening advertised for a beginner’s team out of our club. It was a great way to get to know people and to get to learn the game more and to foster that team spirit,” Corley said.
For more information, check out peachtree-corners.org.
Jones Bridge Swim and Tennis
Jones Bridge Swim and Tennis Club boasts a saline pool and 6 lit tennis courts for year-round play. All 6 courts will be resurfaced at the beginning of May and will include pickleball and kids lines.
The club offers weekday and weekend teams across all levels of skill for ALTA and USTA. They have five to six teams for ALTA Mixed Doubles and four Men’s and four Women’s Doubles teams. Often they have one or more teams in playoff contention. Many players also play in flex leagues out of the club.
Their tennis pro, Courtney Allen, offers team drills, private, semi-private, group lessons and a juniors academy.
Another unique feature the club offers is cardio tennis which is available to both members and nonmembers. Cardio tennis combines tennis and fitness with music – classes are held Monday evenings and Friday mornings.
Jones Bridge Swim and Tennis also hosts fun tournaments every month including round robin mixers and triples tournaments. For more information on Jones Bridge STC tennis, visit jonesbridgeclub.com/
The Club at Spalding Corners
This active neighborhood’s club offers four courts to its members. Both of their mixed teams won in their respective divisions this year and, in fact, one of their mixed captains is the second longest running captain in ALTA history, according to President of Spalding Corners Neighborhood Association (SCNA) Megan Powell.
“Tennis is the best sport ever! It’s a great social sport, and to be competitive and compete at all ages is so great,” Powell said.
SCNA Tennis Chair Christina Stolte has been playing for roughly 21 years, starting about a year after moving into Spalding Corners. She also served as the former HOA president and now serves as the Grounds Committee Chairperson.
Stolte, who is instrumental in coordinating all things tennis at The Club in Spalding Corners, is quick to point out all the great opportunities for play — singles, doubles, mixed doubles, tournaments and more. Two years ago, the club hosted a triples tournament for members and guests to try a unique and different form of gameplay. The SCNA also offers tennis pro coaches for lessons and summer camps, as well as kids’ play.
The club is voluntary membership for residents of Spalding Corners, but it also allows non-residents to join for dues of $685 for families and $485 for adult individuals. Standard operation hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, according to their website.
In addition to its tennis offerings, The Club at Spalding Corners also has a lovely pool that has recently been resurfaced. It serves as the home base for the Spalding Corners Sharks, who ranked first place in Gwinnett County Summer Swim Leagues.
Peachtree Station Swim & Tennis
Peachtree Station Swim & Tennis Club (PSST) has eight LED-lighted tennis courts and two full-time certified United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR) tennis professionals on staff. Offerings include group, semi-private and private lessons, summer/holiday tennis camps, cardio tennis, tournaments, racket stringing and demos. The variety of levels of ALTA and USTA teams for men, women, children, seniors and mixed doubles out of PSST runs the gamut.
For those of us who really want to get the most out of every swing, it sometimes takes a savvy coach to motivate and teach us. That’s where a hardworking athlete comes in, like Joe Rahme, one of the tennis pros who works within PSST and Peachtree Corners Swim & Racquet. He puts his players through their paces, often instructing over several courts at once to make sure they’re getting the attention they need.
“Probably the most satisfying thing is just seeing everyone improve,” Rahme said. “I’ve had some players come is as complete beginners. They have never even played the game, and then over the year they become really good. And that is the most satisfaction I get.” Rahme also remarked that often tennis is a main source of exercise for people who go into the office (or work from home), so he makes sure they get a good workout.
“We believe that tennis is the ideal sport for a number of reasons,” PSST Club Manager Lise Weaver said. “Tennis is a sport that can be played for a lifetime. At PSST, tennis provides our members an opportunity to socialize and meet new people, and we even offer things like cardio tennis for those looking to use tennis as a way to get or stay in shape! Not to mention, tennis is relatively inexpensive and is a low injury sport.”
The Fields Club —Amberfield, Riverfield and Linfield
The Fields Club encompasses 50 acres of land between the Riverfield and Amberfield neighborhoods, much of that in view of the Chattahoochee River. It’s a mandatory membership community for residents, and it’s also open to outside members for access to its recreational programs, two pools, upcoming permanent pickleball courts, walking trails and 16 tennis courts. It’s interesting to note that they have the most tennis courts of any HOA Swim and Tennis community in the area.
Ace Tennis Academy, under Ace Tennis Management, has operated in the area for 25 years and has been with Fields Club since 2015. There are seven full-time on-site coaches on staff, and there tends to be 15 to 16 adult teams active in ALTA or USTA every season. There is ample opportunity for summer play and programs for all ages and abilities. The junior tennis program spans from introductory tennis to kids who are top players in the country.
“To give you a little history, we have had eight players who have hit number one in the country over the years, and a pretty solid number of kids who have gone on to play college tennis,” Tennis Director Jeff Weaver said.
Ace’s team of tennis pros provides all the programming for the club “and the competitive part of the academy just kind of sits on top,” Weaver added.
For information on the Fields club, visit fieldsclub.com or email membership@fieldsclub.com.
Greater Atlanta Christian School Tennis Academy
In addition to its educational value, Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC) has a unique asset in its tennis academy that allows students to receive tennis instruction as a PE elective or free period alternative during the school day.
With six outdoor courts and two additional indoor courts, there is plenty of room for kids to play. It’s worth noting that GAC is the only school campus in the state of Georgia to have indoor courts. The courts are within walking distance for students who participate in the tennis academy during school hours, so middle and high school players can walk over freely; elementary play is limited as younger children require an escort.
GAC Tennis Academy is a fully functional tennis academy that has operated within the school since 2017, with tennis professional staff accredited with USPTA and USPTR tennis coaches, professional organizations and USTA high performance certified coaches. Many of their tennis pro coaches have a trophy case full of awards and accolades, including Scott Hutchinson’s and Rocky Warner’s 2019 USTA Facility of the Year and 2020 USPTA Industry Excellence awards.
The academy is not a separate entity from the school; it’s completely integrated under its athletic arm. Similar school programs typically bring in an outside organization to provide such specialized programs, but GAC made a point to construct a new kind of leadership.
“We were very intentional in setting up GAC Tennis Academy as a direct part of the school instead of a separate group so we could be connected to the students and help them to succeed in the sport,” Hutchinson said.
Per scholastic sports regulations, the GAC Tennis Academy does not coach the GAC school tennis teams in any way and are not allowed to be present at practices. Student players can participate in camps and private lessons, however, and many do.
GAC Tennis Academy welcomes outside players from other schools for after-school programs, and also works with adults in USTA and ALTA. The academy will be part of GAC Grow Camps this summer. For more information, visit greateratlantachristian.org/athletics.
Life Time Athletic and Tennis Peachtree Corners
Life Time Peachtree Corners has 28 total tennis courts — 16 outdoor hard courts, 4 clay courts and 8 indoor tennis courts. They recently partnered with Academia Sánchez Casal to offer a junior academy for high level junior tennis players. Then there is the SMART Junior program, a junior development program that offers classes for ages four and up.
“Our innovative SMART programming focuses on fun and athleticism first, with tennis skills coming second,” said Lifetime Public Relations Specialist Dan DeBaun. “We also offer a Play, Learn, Love Program — this is our beginner pathway for adults.”
Additionally, Life Time Peachtree Corners offers in-house leagues, mixers and tournaments for all levels, as well as ALTA and USTA League play. For anyone looking for one-on-one instruction, private lessons with USPTA and PTR certified professionals are available.
Find out more about life at Life Time at lifetime.life.
USTA and ALTA: A Primer
Here is a general overview of the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) and United States Tennis Association (USTA) sports organizations, which set the standards and organizational structures of competitive tennis in the U.S.
The USTA Southern office is located in Peachtree Corners, though their influence and authority reach much further.
“USTA Southern is one of 17 USTA sections. USTA Southern is the largest, with 25 percent of the national membership,” explained USTA Southern Communications Director Ron Cioffi. USTA Southern covers Georgia and also included Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
“USTA Southern acts as a regional office, even though we are called a section,” Cioffi continued. “Each of our states is considered a district. Local tennis play is organized by community tennis associations (CTA). USTA Atlanta is the local CTA and covers much of metro Atlanta.”
ALTA’s office is located in nearby Roswell and has much in common with USTA. They are both non-profit or not-for-profit organizations dedicated to maintaining the rules of play and sportsmanship. ALTA is also affiliated with USTA through membership in the Southern Tennis Association and abides by the USTA rules of tennis and code of play.
The main difference between the two, if any, is simply ALTA’s focus on play in the Metro Atlanta area. But if you play adult tennis locally and competitively, chances are high that any team you join would be under one of these two umbrellas.
*This article has been updated on April 12, to include information from Jones Bridge Swim and Tennis
The Happy Hitters of North Atlanta were recently honored by the Georgia State Legislature with House Resolution 700 for their work with pickleball athletes for the Special Olympics.
State Rep. Scott Hilton (Peachtree Corners) presented Karla Blaginin and Arthur Jackson, head coaches, and Kimberly Hallam-Maude, manager of Ace Pickleball Club in Roswell, with the proclamation commending the Happy Hitters organization.
The team consisted of twelve athletes from the Alpharetta, Roswell and Peachtree Corners areas who trained for three months and competed at the Special Olympics of Georgia Winter Games in February.
“It was amazing to see how much pickleball helped the athletes grow,” said Blaginin. “They improved their skills every week, and more importantly, had fun at weekly practice.”
“There was a big team of athletes, coaches, volunteers and ACE staff who helped make the Happy Hitters successful,” added Coach Jackson.
The parents of the athletes shared that all of the players benefited from pickleball, with increased coordination, athleticism and competition.
One standout of the group was Mimi Ngo, a skilled tennis and pickleball player who, under Coach Karla’s training, has entered regular competition.
The resolution
The house resolution recognized Happy Hitters for “providing athletes with special needs the opportunity to develop skills, build friendships and compete in pickleball” and the commitment of the players themselves.
It also recognized that, in addition to the athletes and coaches, the team had “the support of six community volunteers, five parent volunteers and generous donors who helped cover game fees, team shirts, and refreshments. ACE Pickleball donated space to the team for two seasons in a row for practice, events and meetings, and the Ace Pickleball Club of Roswell has lent its indoor courts and space.”
You can read the full house resolution here.
About the team
The Happy Hitters of North Atlanta team includes Cici Rose, Colin Cooperider, Dana Lu, Elijah Nunn, Gracie King, Jack Chaplin, Jake Jeffries, Kirtana Bulusu, Luke Harriman, Max Bartholomai, Mimi Ngo and Myles Henderson.
The training center aims to empower local youth and adults to reach their peak athletic performance
D1 Training, a leading fitness enrichment concept utilizing the five core tenets of athletic-based training, is opening a new location in Peachtree Corners on May 17. The group fitness facility will employ a sports-science backed training regimen led by certified trainers to help people of all ages achieve their sport and fitness goals.
To celebrate the new location’s launch, Peachtree Corners neighbors and residents are encouraged to stop by and meet the facility’s team at its grand opening event, which will also feature a live DJ, food truck, a simulated sports combine, raffles for members and non-members and fun games for all ages.
Aligning work with a commitment to fitness
The location’s owners, Roald and Marian Richards join a roster of impressive existing franchisees, including professional athletes such as Kylie Fitts and Jordan Gay. Additional D1 Training franchise partners include notable figures such as Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, Tim Tebow and Michael Oher.
The Richards family has always embraced an active lifestyle. Marian played college basketball, while Roald was a multi-sport athlete in high school, competing in both basketball and track. Their children share that same passion: their oldest daughter competes in varsity basketball and track, and their son also plays varsity basketball. Both have played AAU basketball, along with baseball and soccer. Their youngest daughter is now following in their footsteps as a soccer player.
Roald went on to coach basketball at the local YMCA after college and continued coaching his son through childhood. Marian is equally involved, having coached several of their children’s sports teams over the years.
In addition to coaching, Roald has enjoyed a successful 29-year career in finance. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit, he sought business opportunities after achieving financial security. D1 Training aligned perfectly with his interests and values, allowing him to provide young athletes in the community the chance to reach their fitness goals and become the best versions of themselves both on and off the field.
“Throughout my journey in sports, I’ve come to understand that athletics provide kids with the opportunity to build solid foundations and learn invaluable life lessons,” said Roald. “It’s about much more than just playing a game; through sports, children gain discipline and discover important truths about themselves, which can be crucial for their development.”
“I’m excited to help the youth athletes of Peachtree Corners and the surrounding communities achieve their goals and cultivate the confidence they need to excel in whatever they pursue.”
A variety of programs
D1 Training offers four age-based programs, including Rookie (ages 7-11), Developmental (ages 12-14), Prep (ages 15-18) and D1 Adult. Each fitness program is based on the five athletic-based tenets: dynamic warm-up, performance, strength program, core and conditioning and cool down.
Outside of group workouts, D1 Training also offers group, semi-private and one-on-one training with world-class coaches. The goal is simple: to continue to train athletes who are dedicated to their sport or fitness goals, regardless of age or athletic background.
“The Richards are the ideal candidates to bring the D1 Training experience to Peachtree Corners,” said the brand’s Chief Operating Officer, Dan Murphy. “We’re thrilled to welcome them to the D1 family and are confident in their ability to show the Peachtree Corners area what they’ve been missing out on.”
“D1 is a one-of-a-kind fitness experience that’s built around the individual and meant to help people meet their athletic goals,” Murphy continued. “Our strong network of franchisees embodies our core values to bring the D1 Training vision to life, and we know the Richards will do just that in Peachtree Corners and its surrounding communities.”
Expanding the brand
Strategically expanding across the nation through franchising, D1 Training currently has more than 100 performance centers open with over 100 additional locations in various stages of development.
The brand is currently seeking financially qualified business builders, former athletes and entrepreneurs who share a passion for fitness and youth sports and are ready to make a positive impact on their community.
For more information, visit d1training.com/peachtreecorners or call (855) 783-7650.
D1 Training 5250 Triangle Pkwy NW, Suite 400 • Peachtree Corners, GA 30092
The Charity Run/Walk will be part of Curiosity Lab’s annual Criterium event
Expect a day of thrilling races and family-friendly fun at the inaugural Curiosity Lab Charity 5K Run/Walk followed by the Curiosity Lab Criterium on Sunday, April 27.
The day-long community event will kick off at 8 a.m., when registration opens for the 5K. The race will start at 9 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m., and the Criterium will begin at 11:15 a.m.
In addition to the running and cycling events, there will also be kid’s races, food & beverage vendors, a kids zone, a DJ spinning tunes and more fun throughout the day.
The Charity 5K Run/Walk
Presented by Werfen and Sidel, with additional support provided by Atlas Collaborative and the City of Peachtree Corners, the Charity 5K Run/Walk will benefit the American Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and 100% of the registration fees will be donated.
While no prizes will be given for the race, bib timing will be used for those who would like to see their times. And each registrant will receive a Curiosity Lab Charity 5K Run/Walk t-shirt for participating.
Registration for the 5K is open now.
Curiosity Lab Criterium
Following the 5K, hang around and experience the Curiosity Lab Criterium, part of U.S. Pro Cycling’s Speed Week.
Speed Week is a premiere week-long event on the U.S. Pro Cycling Circuit that draws cyclists from around the world, including Olympic medalists and world and national champions. In 2024, the professional men’s and women’s events drew cyclists from over 30 states and more than 20 countries.
Join in the excitement and watch as some of the world’s top male and female Criterium Racers tackle the most challenging track on the circuit.
The details
The 2025 Curiosity Lab Criterium & 5K will take place on a course located within the world-famous Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners — a 5G-enabled, 500-acre living laboratory ecosystem designed specifically as a proving ground for IoT, mobility and smart city emerging technologies.
Location: Curiosity Lab at City Hall • 310 Technology Pkwy NW, Peachtree Corners
Date and time: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The 5K starts at 9 a.m and ends at 10:30 a.m. The Criterium begins at 11:15 a.m.
Parking for the event will be located at 400 and 420 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners.
For more information, visit peachtreecornersga.gov.
Curiosity Lab Welcomes New Partners & Collaborators to Peachtree Corners
New Exhibit Buzzes into Fernbank Museum
Wannabe: Spice Girls Tribute and Boy Band Review Take to the VoxStage on July 26
Over 150 Runners Participate in PCOM Georgia Blaze 5K
One Can for One Meal: Raid Your Pantry for Free Nando’s on July 18
From the Mayor: Let’s Get Growing – Welcoming the Peachtree Corners Garden Club
City of Peachtree Corners Extends Its International Reach
Four Fun Day Trips to Take Before School Starts Back
Four Fun Day Trips to Take Before School Starts Back
Wannabe: Spice Girls Tribute and Boy Band Review Take to the VoxStage on July 26
One Can for One Meal: Raid Your Pantry for Free Nando’s on July 18
City of Peachtree Corners Extends Its International Reach
New Exhibit Buzzes into Fernbank Museum
Curiosity Lab Welcomes New Partners & Collaborators to Peachtree Corners
From the Mayor: Let’s Get Growing – Welcoming the Peachtree Corners Garden Club
Over 150 Runners Participate in PCOM Georgia Blaze 5K
Light up the Corners [Video]
Capitalist Sage: Business Leadership in Your Community [Podcast]
Cliff Bramble: A Culinary Adventure through Italy
Top 10 Brunch Places in Gwinnett County
A Hunger for Hospitality
THE CORNERS EPISODE 3 – BLAXICAN PART 1
Top 10 Indoor Things To Do This Winter
The ED Hour: What it takes to Remove Barriers from Education
