If you haven’t already tried pickleball you probably will soon. The accessible game with the funny name was recently dubbed by Fortune magazine as America’s fastest growing sport. 

But it’s not just the business opportunity that the sport poses that sparked the interest of Dan McConnon. It’s the sense of community that pickleball fosters.

“Pickleball is important to me because it allows us to connect into the childlike spirit that we all had when learning sports for the very first time,” said Dan. “We first and foremost wanted to create a community center to bring people closer, and I don’t know of a sport better than pickleball at doing just that.”

Dan and his ownership group were referred to Michigan SBDC by Nikki Hoort, owner of Elders Helpers, and met with Business Consultant George Fotis. George assisted with the business plan, made connections with community resources, and identified ways to mitigate risks. 

“This is my first business as an entrepreneur. George helped me see the big picture and ensure that I didn’t miss anything. Now our Byron Center facility draws people from as far south as Kalamazoo and as far north as Traverse City,” Dan noted.

Learn more about All In Pickleball Gym here.