Journal News

Why we ditched the dress code (and the initiation fees)

The Fairgrounds way of play.

Racket clubs have a reputation. All white outfits. A waitlist. A fee just to be considered, and a committee deciding if you fit.

We skipped all of that.

Wear what you play in. Show up how you are. Court shoes are a good idea. A collar is not required.

There’s no initiation fee because there’s nothing to be initiated into. No secret handshake, no sponsor, no proving you belong. If you want to play, you belong.

That doesn’t mean we care less. We care about the courts, the coaching, the towels, the playlist, and the people across the net. We just put that energy into the game instead of the gatekeeping.

We take the game seriously. Not ourselves.

Come play.

If you meant Pickleball or Padel, that’s the first post from the original batch, further up.

A player drinking from a Fairgrounds "Nonclub Member" water bottle

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