1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,400 Hey, this is Shaun with the award-winning GoTennis! Podcast. 2 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,880 Check us out at LetsGoTennis.com and we invite you to learn more about the award by 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,080 following the link in the show notes. 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,680 And as you're listening to this, please look in your podcast app where to leave a review 5 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:20,440 and do that for us. 6 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,160 We would love to earn your five-star reviews. 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:28,240 And now let's get into our recent conversation with Andre Smith, who is founder of Bankhead 8 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:32,080 Pickleball Club, the first black-owned Pickleball Club. 9 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:37,200 We discuss community engagement, cultural representation, and health benefits of racket 10 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:38,200 sports. 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:44,200 Andre emphasizes the importance of accessibility and inclusivity in sports, particularly 12 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,160 for underserved communities. 13 00:00:46,160 --> 00:00:47,880 Have a listen and let us know what you think. 14 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:57,000 Let's go ahead and jump in and let's say Andre Smith, who are you and why do we care? 15 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,160 Yeah, hey, how's it going? 16 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,160 Most people, a lot of people, call me Dré. 17 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:03,560 So we can start with that. 18 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:05,880 Who am I, why don't you care? 19 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,840 Andre Smith, it is a lot of things to a lot of different people. 20 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:15,880 Particularly to this business here, I come from the arts, from music to originally, 21 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,120 and then the fine arts as a curator and art advisor. 22 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,280 Graduated Madden and CUMLOT from NYU Tish and Art and Public Policy. 23 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:28,960 Shortly after that, I found myself working in academia, college professor for two years 24 00:01:28,960 --> 00:01:34,920 at University of Illinois, Chicago, where I taught marketing and innovation. 25 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,200 When it comes to the racket sports, as I was just kind of sharing and connected with 26 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:42,320 Bobby, you know, because we've got Bronx, ties, and common. 27 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:46,920 For me, one on the 80s baby, born 86, my name is Andre. 28 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,000 Kind of easy to imagine where that inspiration came from, right, Agacy, with my dad. 29 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:57,160 I grew up playing tennis in Southern Westchester, you know, in the Bronx, not Vernon, New 30 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,040 or Shell. 31 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,560 It was something I was introduced to early in my life. 32 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:09,880 I think the roots took hold, but the seed didn't really sprout until adulthood. 33 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,880 And it was around 2020. 34 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:18,320 I was living in San Francisco, and there were tennis courts that I would pass, taking my 35 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,520 younger daughter, Chloe, to school in the filmore. 36 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:28,040 And I would see the courts and they were really locked off, you know, you have to know the 37 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:32,640 grounds keeper didn't know the time to be there and it was a bit of a hassle. 38 00:02:32,640 --> 00:02:39,120 So access kind of was something I had been thinking about with public access to rack 39 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,680 exports is something I've been thinking about from about five years ago. 40 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:47,160 And then back in April, I went to a business conference in Miami. 41 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:52,880 And I heard about Pickleball through a neighbor, Ryan, and it was on my mind a little bit. 42 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:59,240 And it wasn't until I went to this conference and I tried to get, you know, a set of Pickleball 43 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:04,400 paddles and a ball that was from this vendor and they only wanted to give me one. 44 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:06,760 And again, access came up. 45 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,720 And I had kind of felt back in love with tennis going to March this evening at the past few 46 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:11,720 summers. 47 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:16,400 So I think just the ball of wax time, they hit late April, early May. 48 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:22,640 And there's an opportunity here and Bankhead just seemed like a really light bulb moment 49 00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:26,240 for me when I thought about, you know, not just we need a club, we need our own Pickleball 50 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:27,240 club, right? 51 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:29,440 And it's not just anywhere in the city. 52 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:35,120 We need it as a place that is core and central to our lifestyle, our way of living, but open 53 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:36,480 to everybody. 54 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:38,160 And Bankhead felt like the perfect fit. 55 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:42,120 So Bankhead Pickleball club is open for business as a brand. 56 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,280 And we'll talk about that briefly in a second. 57 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:50,360 But we open for business and the spring work as a pop-up model over the summer and decided 58 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:57,080 to move forward with 1000 square feet of brick and mortar pop-up concept early in the fall. 59 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:58,080 Okay. 60 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:00,080 Very cool. 61 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,760 So you have a indoor facility. 62 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:04,760 Now is it indoor? 63 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:05,760 Is it covered? 64 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:06,760 Sometimes we get that mixed up. 65 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:07,760 Yeah. 66 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:08,760 Yeah. 67 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:14,200 So what you see behind me here is 14,000 square feet of indoor real estate. 68 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:20,400 So for this, we have three indoor courts, regulation dimensions. 69 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:26,560 We have one core dimension for road tennis, far from some of that Caribbean tradition that 70 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,160 Bobbie and I were talking about a little earlier. 71 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:34,680 We have Mila State for practice simulators for tennis and Pickleball. 72 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:42,920 And we are really excited about bringing Pedel Ping Phong inside of here. 73 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:48,360 Now for outside, we have real estate for two courts. 74 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,840 And ultimately we do want to have one with Del Quart on the property. 75 00:04:52,840 --> 00:04:57,880 As far as back to the inside, we have a juice bar that's going to serve cold brew, cold 76 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,440 press juice and matcha. 77 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:09,560 And we have the stage and real estate for events and off sides and things like that. 78 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:13,800 So basically you just ruined my next question of why are you unique because that all pretty 79 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:20,360 much sounds fairly unique even though, hey, we know we know there are racquet sports facilities 80 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,160 all over, but this one sounds fantastic. 81 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:24,880 And I guess along. 82 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:25,880 Yeah. 83 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:26,880 Okay. 84 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:27,880 So there's the other thing. 85 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,640 Bankhead location, just off the belt line. 86 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:32,640 How could you pick a better spot? 87 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:34,120 Now what about it? 88 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,040 You've got just cell memberships. 89 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:41,360 I say just like everybody else, but you can be having memberships, people come in, play 90 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,480 Pickleball, everybody does that. 91 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:49,040 But you've also, you're targeting after school, you've got a culture angle that you're 92 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:50,040 working on here. 93 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:51,040 Talk about that. 94 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:52,040 Yeah. 95 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:58,080 So as you've just seen, briefly over here to my side, I guess what really makes us unique 96 00:05:58,080 --> 00:05:59,240 is not just. 97 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:05,720 And when people see or hear or read or come back to us saying, you know, you're the first 98 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:07,440 black on Pickleball club. 99 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,280 You know, how is that true? 100 00:06:09,280 --> 00:06:11,280 How is that unique? 101 00:06:11,280 --> 00:06:13,360 Where's the data on that? 102 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:21,400 The data says that there is no, there are players in the mix like Blackout Pickleball, Black 103 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,200 Girls Pickle 2, Black Pickle Alliance. 104 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:32,200 And they do really amazing things as affinity groups, as meetups, as operators that bring 105 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,920 what they can do culturally to a space. 106 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:43,800 Spankhand Pickleball Club is a brick and mortar concept, first of all. 107 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:45,600 So we're franchiseable. 108 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:46,600 That's number one. 109 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:53,120 A looking to franchise in key cities and on college, universities and campuses coming 110 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:54,120 soon. 111 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:55,600 More details about that later. 112 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,400 But we also are a lifestyle content engine. 113 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:08,680 When you think about the Black Effect in Pickleball, you've got bookends, you've got Tyra, Hurricane 114 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,920 Black, and you've got Donald Young, Jr. 115 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:16,600 There's a lot of space between those two exemplars in the sport. 116 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,560 There's a lot of space for people that come purely from Pickleball, possibly not coming 117 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:25,960 from tennis previously, or people coming from the delt, people coming from Pickleball 118 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:26,960 to the delt. 119 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:31,600 The physics are very different, so let's not under index on that. 120 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:36,000 But the excitement and opportunities there, and I think that's something special when 121 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:45,520 I think about identity representation for black and brown boys and girls, black and 122 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:50,680 brown folks who are always kids at art, or getting older and looking for ways to stay fit 123 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:51,920 and stay young. 124 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:59,320 So for Bankhead, it's a lot more than, let's go international and do tours, but let's bring 125 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,720 a local accent to a global language. 126 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:07,920 Let's speak Bankhead to bracket sports. 127 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:09,240 There's a way to celebrate. 128 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:10,240 There's a way to speak. 129 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:17,920 There's an interest in the music and the vibes that inform how to play. 130 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:21,480 That's part of what makes this really unique. 131 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:25,320 Or is that, and then to what you would say earlier, we also have the youth academy, where 132 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:29,600 we prioritize underserved kids and families in the Atlanta metro area. 133 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,080 So what makes this unique is really our Geeklow system, honestly. 134 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:42,760 And I think that's what makes this different from some of the other operators I alluded earlier. 135 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:44,880 So I'm sure Bobby's first question. 136 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,480 Are you going to have music playing while everybody's there? 137 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:48,720 You've got to have the culture. 138 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:50,520 There's music, right? 139 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:58,440 Yeah, yeah, for us, because at the Bankhead Pickleball, we are membership-based, you know, 140 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:02,640 proud, will pay movement as our business model. 141 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:09,240 We definitely want to be as inviting and welcoming to all parties, those groups and stakeholders. 142 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:17,920 What I like to think of with Bankhead is, with Bankhead Pickleball, is it is a unique and 143 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:25,440 interesting and future-facing way to export a unique piece of Atlanta to the world, right? 144 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:35,200 And in doing so, it's more seeking you will find more than, you know, sign instantly at 145 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:36,200 the door. 146 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:42,400 So, yes, for our hours of operation, when we fully come online, out of the cold open and 147 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:47,640 move into our grand opening phase, we will definitely have a house trap or a house 148 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:48,640 trap. 149 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,600 But what makes us, again, goes back to what makes you unique in the ecosystem, right? 150 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:57,540 Is you're not just going to eventually find one single channel or track of playlists for 151 00:09:57,540 --> 00:10:03,160 Bankhead Pickleball on Spotify or whatever your favorite music streaming source might be, 152 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:04,160 right? 153 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:06,280 You're going to find it for channels and flavors of what we offer. 154 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:12,080 So we're definitely excited about the, basically called the Silent Disco component to gameplay. 155 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:19,460 So your track, your core, your time, your core, your partners, your track, your practice 156 00:10:19,460 --> 00:10:21,520 session, your music, right? 157 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:26,260 So, again, coming to this as someone who comes from strategy, having one of the words 158 00:10:26,260 --> 00:10:32,560 and the advertising space, previously with the Martin agency and with Masterclass respectively, 159 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:38,720 curating and personalizing with intention is something that I think, again, we could 160 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:46,000 do really uniquely here, opposite other operators that prioritize more real estate and more courts, 161 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:52,600 opposite and more unique and intimate experience for your time with us at the club. 162 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:53,600 Unique and intimate. 163 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,080 Bobby, you think that works? 164 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,000 I think it's got to, I think it's a great way to take it. 165 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:00,000 Yeah. 166 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:01,000 And Sean, let me be clear. 167 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,000 That was going to be my second question. 168 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:08,160 My first question was because he brought up in his, you know, where he's from, you serve 169 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,720 in Coca Pepsi because you mentioned Mount Vernon. 170 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:15,360 So you have, you know, you've crossed paths with the competitors. 171 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:17,240 Are you serving Coca Pepsi? 172 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:24,560 You know, I went to Morehouse College, you know, and I think even before Morehouse, I was 173 00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:32,240 really impressed with the vanilla coke as a, as a, a pivot or premium product that Coca 174 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:33,240 Cola introduced. 175 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,960 I think that came out when I was around school when I say maybe chewing your euro high school 176 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,720 from dating myself a little bit, forgive me. 177 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:47,080 But I have always, I think, been a fan of Coca Cola and peanuts, right? 178 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,120 Pepsi and salad. 179 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:54,200 So I think it's probably going to, probably going to stay Coca Cola, keep it at land in that 180 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:55,200 way. 181 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:56,200 Yeah. 182 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:01,640 I can't say I've ever really been impressed with like Pepsi work. 183 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,640 If I'm being honest, I think it's the ad guy in me. 184 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:11,080 Pepsi, I think Pepsi is a great reference point for how to do things better. 185 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:19,320 I think their leadership has shown, you know, how to be, I think Pepsi is cool for maybe 186 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:23,760 how they take accountability, you know, for when they get things wrong with leadership. 187 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:28,480 I think at the end of the day, I want to be a proof of concept, a proof case for how to 188 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:35,600 get it right, rather than like any type of business seminar reference. 189 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:36,600 I think that's what I think it's going to be. 190 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:37,600 I think it's going to be a great reference point for what you can learn from, right? 191 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:42,600 Learn from me, learn from me, measuring nine times and getting it right by federal one time, 192 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:47,320 rather than cutting instantly and hoping I can get nine edits with fixed set. 193 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:53,240 I don't want to date myself, but I live through Coca Cola changing brands and Pepsi almost killing 194 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:54,240 Michael Jackson. 195 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,040 So that's how old I am. 196 00:12:56,040 --> 00:13:00,920 Dude, I was just talking about Michael Jackson, I'm not Pepsi, I'm an apology just the other 197 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:01,920 day. 198 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:02,920 That's crazy. 199 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,920 I mean, that it's sad. 200 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:10,760 I mean, that's not that started is pain killing addiction. 201 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:17,160 So I mean, it's well, you know, spinning it back to pickle balls spinning back for a while 202 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:18,160 trying to do it. 203 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:19,920 Yeah, we'll lay off there for a second. 204 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:23,760 What I try to remind people, people that look like me and even people that don't look like 205 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:24,760 me, right? 206 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:27,720 When they're like, you know, why you why pickle ball? 207 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:29,040 Why bank? 208 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:34,040 What I say is pickle ball is great for the cardio, right? 209 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:38,120 It's bad for the cortisol and that's good for people like you and me. 210 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:44,640 And what I mean by that, you know, beyond the obvious is what one cortisol is not so obvious 211 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:45,640 to people. 212 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:49,040 There are a lot of people who don't know, you know, the things back to Michael Jackson, 213 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:50,040 right? 214 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:51,040 And pain management, right? 215 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,320 There are a lot of people who are unaware, right? 216 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:59,560 We're unimploring about what's actually hurting or pain, they're more, you know, keeping 217 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:05,280 them in a place of discomfort, staying in a place of discomfort leads to being content 218 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:06,960 with suffering, right? 219 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:10,360 And a great way to alleviate that, right? 220 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:11,360 It's fine. 221 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:12,360 It's fine. 222 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:13,520 It's a healthy habit, right? 223 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:18,560 And I definitely don't fault people who praise pickle balls being addictive. 224 00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:19,560 Certainly is, right? 225 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:25,160 Trusting oneself, you know, building a whole business out of this, you know, banquet pickle 226 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:28,160 ball club is an APX project, right? 227 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,720 So coming back to, you know, brand purpose and strategy, right? 228 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,520 But it's definitely bigger than that as I mentioned because there's a whole bridge over 229 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:40,840 to public health and the bridge way for that is identity and representation. 230 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:46,160 So there might be some people that come across a caravan or a humana sponsored pickle ball 231 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:49,200 torn in mid singles or doubles, what have you, right? 232 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,320 And they see people getting out the suppression, having a great time and getting healthy and 233 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,120 being like, ah, right, digging in the kitchen. 234 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:58,040 And I want some of that, right? 235 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:03,240 Because that looks like, you know, a lot better than maybe pounding some beers, right? 236 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,000 But they can't see themself there, right? 237 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,960 So they default to where they see themselves, right? 238 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:12,960 And I've always been to believe through that you grow in places that aren't comfortable, 239 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:13,960 right? 240 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:19,760 So for me, you know, it comes back to why I say, you know, it's good for the cardio, right? 241 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:21,080 Good for your health, right? 242 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:22,600 Bad for the cortisol, right? 243 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:24,080 Which is double negative, right? 244 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,120 It's just positive, right? 245 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:27,880 And it's good for you and me. 246 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:32,040 And I don't know if Michael Jackson would have been a pickle ball monster, right? 247 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,160 He probably, you know, he probably would have been digging up people, right? 248 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,320 Probably would have been great lots. 249 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:42,240 Because I think that, you know, it's funny that you mentioned about the Jackson. 250 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:46,040 The reason why I thought of him and Pepsi was I was watching the Vince state will show on Netflix. 251 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:47,360 I'm so happy seeing him too, it was out. 252 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:48,360 I love Vince. 253 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,120 If you don't know who's, you know, I feel like who's been state was that kind of the point. 254 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:52,880 So for those of you know, LOL. 255 00:15:52,880 --> 00:16:00,800 But what his mother said to him in a car rental locations, the whole scene set up and she 256 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,560 reminds him like, Hey, people want to see you be your mate, right? 257 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,200 Don't be your mate, baby, be Michael, right? 258 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:12,920 Like don't fall short, you know, don't succumb to, you know, outside pressures, you know, 259 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:16,720 kind of follow your true North, you know, follow your star, you know, follow your purpose. 260 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:25,080 And I think that there is a lot of room in real estate for young people to unlock, you know, 261 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,280 some healthy purpose in themselves, right? 262 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:28,680 With a sport like pickle ball. 263 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:34,040 I think I was outshamed, but I was saying to Sean is that I want people to reframe the 264 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:41,120 opportunity and stop seeing pickle balls a challenge or a problem and see pickle ball as a gateway 265 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,680 or an on ramp to racket sports. 266 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:48,320 And frankly, just healthy livingals were all, you know, so what Michael Jackson be a pickle 267 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:49,320 ball monster? 268 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:50,320 I don't know. 269 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:55,160 But Michael Jackson was an advocate of a lot of healthy things and smart business. 270 00:16:55,160 --> 00:17:01,240 And you know, you sports being, you know, $40 billion a year annually globally. 271 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,240 Sounds like smart business to me. 272 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:09,920 Georgia, you know, being rackets or mecca and at least in North America, it just seems 273 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:11,560 like smart business overall. 274 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:16,000 So Bobby, we can play Michael Jackson's songs while we play Pickleball. 275 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,680 Well, everything's just an homage at that point. 276 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:19,680 Yeah. 277 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:20,680 Absolutely. 278 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:21,680 Absolutely. 279 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:22,680 And the range of what would Bobby listen to. 280 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,640 I think we're actually going to have an event called beat it. 281 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:30,040 And it's going to be a Michael Jackson tribute day here at the club. 282 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:32,120 So you guys are invited. 283 00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:33,120 I'm in. 284 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:34,120 That sounds fantastic. 285 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:36,360 So what else you can do events? 286 00:17:36,360 --> 00:17:41,240 Do you have anything coming up, you know, kind of that next step in this conversation, which 287 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:48,560 is you have your facility at the bank head, first black owned pickle ball club doing what 288 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:49,760 you do. 289 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:55,480 You've got a great cultural focus where it isn't just making money on pickle ball people. 290 00:17:55,480 --> 00:18:00,360 You're also trying to bring in the kid, the after school programs. 291 00:18:00,360 --> 00:18:05,520 You're trying to reach everybody, create accessibility and affordability and all that. 292 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,240 What do you have coming up? 293 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:11,920 What is going on in your world that you might want to talk about that says, hey, what do you 294 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,560 want to share with our audience specifically? 295 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:15,560 Yeah. 296 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:16,560 Thank you. 297 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:17,560 That's a great question. 298 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:22,760 So as you might imagine, particularly in Atlanta, across the country, you made your 299 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:29,400 own world for sure in the South, you for sure and Georgia, for the county Atlanta in particular, 300 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:35,960 everything from new year to, you know, observing Martin Luther King Day all the way through 301 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,600 four of board day, really a super charge window for the city, right? 302 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:44,640 If you've been brought in that, Juneteenth is also a big cultural calendar opportunity, 303 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:45,640 right? 304 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:47,680 And the city, you know, and larger. 305 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:54,840 If this year being when, you know, FIFA World Cup comes to Atlanta, beginning in June, 306 00:18:54,840 --> 00:19:00,240 it's definitely a super charge window that we're excited about being part of. 307 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:06,760 So more to share as we rise, we answered the new year, but what we're really excited about 308 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:10,760 as an ecosystem, as a business, as a lifestyle brand, right? 309 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:12,760 Is black futures. 310 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:17,960 And what I mean by black futures is, you know, one thing I, you know, I think that the USDA does 311 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:26,160 really well, particularly the US Open, is I love that they had a history product tie-in 312 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,280 with Marvel and the fantastic foreign out the Gibson, right? 313 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:33,280 They released like a limited number of common books around the experience that the US 314 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:34,280 Open. 315 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,080 I love that they're playing a black history in the style to, you know, and honoring her 316 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:39,560 like a sandhurt or an imprint. 317 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:43,560 And it does like Arthur Asch, you know, in some ways, even Serena Williams, you know, fast 318 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:45,880 forward, you know, back to black futures, right? 319 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:49,600 The future of support looks like Taylor Townsend and Coco Gough, you know, like we'll take 320 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:51,360 you to the name of this. 321 00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:56,200 Oh, they're, you know, 1965, 2025, right? 322 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,440 It's not the biggest window of time, right? 323 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:02,840 So there's not a lot of black history per se to speak of when it comes to thick of all, 324 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:03,840 but the future is very bright. 325 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:05,800 In fact, it's almost like white hot. 326 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,240 And that's something we're really excited about in Bankhead. 327 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:13,140 So again, being off the belt line, you know, in five minutes from the Bankhead artist 328 00:20:13,140 --> 00:20:19,160 station at this current, you know, brick and mortar pop-up concept location here. 329 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:23,680 I'm first of, you know, many iterations to come until we find something or build something 330 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,480 even right with the right strategically aligned partners, right? 331 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,520 This is how building out the brick and mortar vision of it. 332 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:35,640 And for us, this is going to be a hub for black futures and rackets courts. 333 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:41,640 So this is the, you know, again, back to how I was saying about, you know, exporting this 334 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,720 unique piece of Atlanta, you know, culture, right? 335 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:49,880 And in heritage, you know, beyond, you know, FIFA World Cup. 336 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:54,560 I really like to think of Bankhead, you know, as you might talk about Marvel again, right, 337 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:55,560 Fantastic Four. 338 00:20:55,560 --> 00:21:01,360 I'd like to make a bankhead the way you might think of Ragnarok if you're into Thor or Wakanda 339 00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:04,120 if you're, you know, if you know Black Panther, right? 340 00:21:04,120 --> 00:21:06,360 It's bigger than a geolocation, right? 341 00:21:06,360 --> 00:21:07,360 A pin, right? 342 00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:08,920 It's like a friendship, right? 343 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:10,720 You know, in Los Angeles, right? 344 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:14,560 Or it's like red style in Brooklyn, right? 345 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,400 It means something beyond just that thing, right? 346 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,920 It's a way of life, it's a way of being able to be speaking, we have celebrating, right? 347 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,360 We have carrying heritage and history and legacy. 348 00:21:23,360 --> 00:21:25,920 And that really matters. 349 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:34,040 For us, looking at the future of racketsport, right, with Bankhead Pickleball, you know, 350 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,920 we could do uniquely as a piece of that is what we're really excited about. 351 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:43,560 And that's what we're building our programming, you know, through Q2 of next year around. 352 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:44,560 We love it. 353 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:49,520 And we are excited to talk about it, excited to be a part of it whenever we can. 354 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:52,800 I'm looking forward to seeing the facility itself in person. 355 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,640 Bobby, you got anything else before for Dre before we hit him with King of Pickleball? 356 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,160 I want to hit the King of Pickleball. 357 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:00,920 We can jump right in. 358 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:06,280 So, Dre, I'm just so used to calling you Andre because that's just how you were in my phone 359 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:07,280 for so long. 360 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:08,600 I don't know that I could make the switch. 361 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,040 So I apologize if I'm back and forth on that one. 362 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:12,040 It's so easy. 363 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:14,080 You're just losing letters, you know. 364 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:20,400 It's not, it's not, it's not for me because to me, you're Andre, you always will be. 365 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:24,840 I'm not the one that's old that you're not wrong. 366 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:25,840 Okay. 367 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:26,840 Okay. 368 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:28,440 So when I say dear Andre in the letters. 369 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:29,440 Yeah. 370 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:30,440 Yeah. 371 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:31,440 All right, but Dre, you're right. 372 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:32,440 Hey, you're right. 373 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:35,560 Hey, Dre, when you text me, you know, so you got that part going for you. 374 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:37,640 Just got to, you know, bring the rest of it over. 375 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:39,640 But I've been practicing. 376 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:40,640 Yeah. 377 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:42,240 And I've been practicing too. 378 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,720 This is kind of like, they say Samarro, like, you know, what do you want your neon 379 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:46,520 signs to be, right? 380 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:49,400 RIP, vice-land TV when it was good. 381 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:55,320 But I did do some homework on the, you know, the closing question, right? 382 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:57,560 If I were the King of Pickleball, right? 383 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,800 And it goes, if I were the King of Pickleball, what would I want, right? 384 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:06,680 Or what would be my first order of business? 385 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:14,720 If I as the founder and chief strategy officer of Bankhead Pickleball Club were a King of Pickle 386 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:21,760 Ball all around the globe, I'd want to first order business as I sat on the, you know, 387 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,200 the throne of sorts or paddles in this case, right? 388 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:26,200 Or carbon. 389 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:31,760 Maybe on the carbon throne, I would want to prioritize private and public partnerships. 390 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:33,880 I'd want to do this with two reasons. 391 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:38,680 Reason one, I wanted to democratize access to the support, like I was kind of teasing at 392 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:39,680 it earlier. 393 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:41,880 Pickleball is not the problem. 394 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:44,040 Pickleball is really the gateway, right? 395 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:49,840 It is a low barrier to penchery. 396 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:55,000 Easily easy to access for a multi-generation game. 397 00:23:55,000 --> 00:24:00,880 It opens up your mind and appetite and flexibility for all types of rackets and sports. 398 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:07,240 I'd want to follow, you know, smart models, right, for how to do this because I don't think 399 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:16,040 it helps anything that we add pickleball lines to proper tennis courts. 400 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:19,440 It takes tension to get attention, but not all tension is good, right? 401 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:21,920 That's what a smart King realizes. 402 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:28,000 He got some attention, right, but we need to move that attention to a dedicated space, right, 403 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:33,360 to alleviate that attention, you know, for unity at Come You, right? 404 00:24:33,360 --> 00:24:35,160 That's how we get to the commerce, right? 405 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:42,160 There's more money to be made finding smarter ways to pair the sports, rather than trying 406 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,160 to make a sandwich out of them. 407 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:46,960 Okay, so question. 408 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,800 To democratize access. 409 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,280 Are we just saying we need free or cheaper? 410 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:55,840 Is that all that that means or is there something more complex about it? 411 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,400 So this goes back to private public partnerships, right? 412 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:04,240 There are tears to smart, scalable business works into your models, right? 413 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:08,560 There should be open, free to play. 414 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:17,440 There should be more premiums added on for those who want to pay for an elevated experience, 415 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:18,440 right? 416 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:28,080 And then there should be league level, champion level, big visibility, stadium level that is 417 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:34,920 open for all to find, you know, find a level or price that they are comfortable with supporting 418 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:36,760 or participating out. 419 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,680 I think that's smart business. 420 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:45,200 I say this because, you know, where we are located in Benke, we share a real estate with, 421 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:53,600 you know, Village Skate Park, you know, other business concepts out here like at Bonfire 422 00:25:53,600 --> 00:26:01,200 ATL or Atlanta Indie Market, you know, shutter space if you will, Atlanta Forest projects, 423 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:02,200 right? 424 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:03,920 Keith Parts, we have neighbors, right? 425 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:08,960 So we have to think in the community way, how can we make it fair for our neighbors, but 426 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:15,480 still protect the value that we need to drive for our goals, our interests, right? 427 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,760 And I think that, of course, all business thinks that way. 428 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:24,520 I think it gets, it can get challenging and when it gets challenging, sometimes people 429 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:28,800 get a little short-sighted and that's where the tension builds up, right? 430 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:34,000 Example, all of these lawsuits that happen in these suburbs or these, you know, community 431 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,200 village complexes or these retirement complexes, right? 432 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:39,240 These aren't necessary. 433 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:45,440 They just have to find a different way, you know, to make it a community work. 434 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:51,920 I don't think striking things that are appealing or appealing or even, you know, the things that 435 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,920 make the deal, you know, that lock a deal down, right? 436 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:59,360 There are some people that are exclusively, you know, currently, when you think about the 437 00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:04,480 wellness tourism industry, right? 438 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:06,240 Again, billions of dollars, you know, flowing around, right? 439 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:10,280 There are people who exclusively will commit to a property over another property that 440 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:15,960 might have more space or, you know, more premium amenities, but this property has a pickable 441 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:17,360 court on the property. 442 00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:18,920 That's attractive, right? 443 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:23,080 That appeal shouldn't be turned into a negative, right, unnecessarily, right? 444 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:28,400 I think, again, part of it is, don't force the sandwich, right, when there is enough to spread 445 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:29,400 things around. 446 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:31,120 Makes me think of a stone soup. 447 00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:36,480 So the little traveler that comes in and everybody doesn't have enough to make their own meal, 448 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:39,520 but if we all come together, we can make a soup out of this rock. 449 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:40,520 I don't know. 450 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,360 Maybe I've just been reading too many kids' stories, which you have on a topic. 451 00:27:43,360 --> 00:27:44,360 No. 452 00:27:44,360 --> 00:27:46,640 It's stories are the things that make the hobby special, you know. 453 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:50,720 That's why I was again glad we were able to work through our cold open, get towards our 454 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:51,720 grand opening. 455 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:53,440 You guys are definitely welcome guests. 456 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:58,880 You know, we feel like we're part of the GoTest family. 457 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:02,240 The work that you guys do in order of that way and coming is great. 458 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:07,920 Our interest in partnership is getting more of that traffic downtown as well. 459 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:13,240 A lot of it comes down to, you know, not just who all is going to be there, but where can 460 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:14,640 we be? 461 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:17,440 And as far as who all is going to be here at Bankhead, everyone's welcome. 462 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:21,600 As far as where you're going to be, you're definitely welcome here. 463 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:32,160 I don't know if we're going to play handball anytime soon, but we're going to be very, very 464 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:33,160 big or ball. 465 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:34,160 You know, we're defiant me. 466 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:38,480 And I definitely, definitely want something, you know, it's always good to feel, you know, 467 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,960 I don't get homesick because I'm really, you know, I'm by coastal between San Francisco 468 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:42,960 and Atlanta. 469 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:45,240 You know, I spend most of my year here in Atlanta. 470 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:50,800 But I don't get homesick for New York to often because I have to fly up there for family. 471 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:56,240 And when I do, I always conveniently, you know, come across someone from the Bronx. 472 00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:01,240 And today just happened to be that day and just happened to be you, man. 473 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:05,280 Making this pop-task episode even more special, you fixed my homesick. 474 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:06,280 So I appreciate it. 475 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:07,280 I thank you. 476 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:12,080 And I'll tell you what, I love the concept of what you guys accomplished, what you talked 477 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:16,520 about because it brings me back to when I started to play tennis. 478 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:20,280 The club that I played at on Long Island at this point, they broke it down the same way 479 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:25,040 you know, there was a time they'd let us come in for free, the kids, you know, and we were 480 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:28,360 allowed to stay to a certain point, still not paying. 481 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:34,600 And you know, we became part of the club and it was a big cultural change and it's supreme, 482 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,240 you know, they tried to go thinking they were going to go to another level and they lost 483 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:42,160 all the kids because they took away that culture, you know, that part of it. 484 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:50,160 And I'm a big believer in, you know, more people, more energy, more success. 485 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:51,440 Well, there you have it. 486 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:56,560 We want to thank reGeovinate.com for use of the studio and be sure to hit that follow button. 487 00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:00,760 For more Racket Sports content, you can go to LetsGoTennis.com. 488 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:05,480 And while you're there, check out our calendar of events, great deals on Racket Sports products, 489 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:07,040 apparel, and more. 490 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:11,120 If you're a coach, director of any Racket Sports, or just someone who wants to utilize our 491 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:16,320 online shop, contact us about setting up your own shop collection to offer your branded 492 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:18,920 merchandise to the Racket Sports World. 493 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:20,640 And with that, we're out. 494 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:21,160 See you next time. 495 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:28,120 Bye. 496 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:30,700 (upbeat music)