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The Ocean Pines Racquet Sports Committee met on May 12 and discussed the status of various projects and upcoming sponsored events.

“The committee is working on a ‘punch list’ of items (right now),” committee liaison Amy Peck said. “The big news is the pickleball surface work has been completed. That’s going on very well and they’re going to be working on repairs to the cracks of the courts (next), which should be commencing soon.”

New tables and chairs are in at the Ocean Pines Racquet Center and portable pickleball nets have been delivered.

Business has been booming at the center, Peck said, and it led the committee to decide to increase parking via diagonal parking spots.

“It’s getting really busy over there,” Peck said. “Membership numbers are up, drop-in numbers are up.”

The committee is also putting the fate of future projects in the hands of the Ocean Pines Association membership. A committee is being formed to develop questions that will give members a chance to weigh in on the future of the racquet center, what amenities and programs they like and what they think is needed.

On Saturday there will be a round-robin tennis tournament and potluck lunch from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Friday Family Fun Night for spec tennis is tomorrow. Families can rent a court for $12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. There will be instructors on hand to introduce new participants to the sport.

“Spec tennis is taking off,” Peck said. “It’s going to be the next pickleball. We are the only place on the east coast that offers spec tennis.”

A “tri-tennis-athon,” which includes 30-minute sets of timeless tennis, spec tennis and platform tennis, is scheduled for June 4 at 9:30 a.m.

The annual Ocean Pines Summer Classic pickleball tournament is scheduled for June 11-12.

For more information about racquet sports events, visit https://www.facebook.com/OceanPinesRacquetSports.

This story appears in the print version of Bayside Gazette on May 19, 2022.