HISTORY OF YPPC

For our current and future members of our club, we thought it would be beneficial to share the origins of the York Paddle and Pickle Club. Around 2006, Caleb Fox, a long-time resident of York, Chairman of the Board of York Hospital, and a member of the York Golf and Tennis club, and an avid fisherman, realized that there were few athletic activities to participate in during the winter months in Maine.  A native of Philadelphia, Caleb had been exposed to the sport of Platform Tennis, and thought that it would be an ideal sport to bring to York. Along with a group of his friends, he bought a used court, leased some land from Bill Dignan and his business partner, and started the York Paddle Tennis Club. Our club officially opened in 2007 with a single court sitting alone in an open field on Mill Lane. Among the initial members, there were few who knew very much about the game of paddle tennis, but they brought an abundance of enthusiasm to our club. Unfortunately, it was shortly after the opening of our club that Caleb Fox passed away. Some members of our club contributed financially, while other members contributed by providing plenty of “sweat equity.” A lot needed to be done in order to make our club a functioning entity. Thanks to the labors of Gregg Campbell, Peter Lewis, Dave Carley, Dave Leal, Bill Dignan, and many other members, along with the generosity of Bob Dempsey, a clubhouse was built and decking added to make access to the court possible without a ladder. This was the start of our club, all from the vision of one passionate man. 

Our club has progressed from those early days to one that now owns just over four acres of land zoned mixed-use, sports two paddle courts and four pickleball courts. The future looks bright for our club with plans for improved parking along with a sound barrier fence. While the current membership has allowed us to plan for the future with respectful improvements, let’s all continue to remember and pay tribute to those visionary initial members who not only saw the potential in the club but were willing to put their finances and hard labor into making it a reality.