Community Sports and Wellness officials discuss possible expansion plans

PENDLETON — Tennis classes are a hot commodity at Community Sports and Wellness.

Bryant Beard, general manager and certified tennis instructor, said tennis classes are among the fastest growing programs at the facility.

Beard led a high school class on Feb. 28 in which he and another instructor covered some tennis fundamentals, including how to hit the ball and how to be in the proper position to return a shot.

Tennis, pickleball and gymnastics are among the sports offered at Community Sports and Wellness. The facility also has a state-of-the-art fitness area, which has become more accessible to the community thanks to a recent restructure.

Members are given complete access to all of the facility’s offerings for $59 per month. A basic individual membership is $29 per month. Access to sports like tennis is available for an additional fee.

The facility’s membership base has grown from more than 2,500 to 3,065 as of February.

Pendleton, along with most of the rest of southern Madison County, is deemed a prime target of residential growth, which Beard said the facility is preparing for.

“We’re going to have to expand and provide more amenities, more outdoor courts,” he said. “Without expanding what we have, it’s going to be hard to grow a lot because we’re so busy.”

Beard said the facility has a good working relationship with town officials. He said he’s optimistic that the collaboration will continue to effectively meet the community’s needs.