When The Pickleball Club at Lakewood Ranch went bankrupt just weeks after Matt Lund and his family moved to Florida, most people would have walked away. Instead, Matt chose faith over fear — and rebuilt the club from the ground up.

In this episode of Racquet Biz Podcast, host Dominique Lemperle sits down with Matt Lund, CEO of The Pickleball Club at Lakewood Ranch, to unpack the story behind one of the sport’s most remarkable turnarounds. From a toxic culture and financial collapse to a thriving, data-driven operation with a strong community ethos, Matt shares his blueprint for sustainable growth in the fastest-growing sport in America.

He explains:

• How he rebuilt trust with members and staff after bankruptcy
• The critical mistakes pickleball facilities make when scaling too fast
• Why diversifying revenue is the key to profitability
• His approach to hiring, leadership, and culture change
• How faith and family guided every decision during the rebuild

Whether you’re an operator, investor, or pickleball enthusiast, you’ll walk away with actionable insights on what it really takes to run a successful sports facility in 2025.

Welcome to Racquets Biz, the only weekly podcast created specifically for investors who want to understand and capitalize on the explosive growth of the rackets industry. My name is Dominique Lemperle, a career rackets professional and consultant who has spent years building programs, advising clubs.