Members and coaches tell us what they love most about these local sports clubs
Photography by John Michael Simpson
Engaging in recreational activities isn’t just about staying fit – it’s about forging connections, embracing new challenges and enriching lives. Local sports leagues and clubs – from pickleball’s fast-paced fun to rugby’s spirited camaraderie and futsal’s dynamic play – add vibrancy and transform our community, one game at a time.
Durham Area Pickleball Players
Tracey Taylor needed to find a new form of exercise following her gastric bypass surgery in 2017. Pickleball, with its fast pace, small court size and highly social community, was the perfect fit.
“I knew exercise was my key to keeping the weight off, and I have done that,” Tracey says. “I lost almost 140 pounds. [The sport] definitely changed everything in my life. Who knew?”
Tracey, a nurse, is a certified coach with Durham Area Pickleball Players – a nonprofit formed in 2020 to promote the sport – and a USA Pickleball ambassador who teaches the fundamentals of the game at Walltown Park for Durham Parks and Recreation. She coaches at various locations, including Hollow Rock Racquet & Swim Club.
Tracey says this year’s inaugural Piney Wood Bull City Open in March raised nearly $11,000 for DAPP and the Durham Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that supports Durham Parks and Recreation, which opened its first dedicated pickleball courts – eight public and four league-only – last year at Piney Wood Park. The DAPP continues to expand and spread the joy of the game; its Facebook page already has roughly 2,600 followers and counting. Interested players are encouraged to join the group at durhampickleball.org, where they can volunteer to serve on committees and at events and tournaments.
Lauren Rice, regional director of development at Duke University and a DAPP board member, began regularly playing pickleball two years ago. “I’m very competitive,” Lauren, a former Duke women’s basketball player who graduated in 2000, says. “It was a new challenge, and then I very quickly realized it was about the relationships: I’ve met so many interesting people who I never would have in my day job. That’s what’s kept me in it – all the amazing people; it’s been fabulous.”
Lauren says she values how the sport brings people of all ages and backgrounds together. “I play with teenagers or 20-somethings, and with folks in their 70s and 80s,” she says. “People from all over the place and from all different professions. It’s just a friendly way to get people together and be outside. … This is really a fun new challenge for me. I just played this morning.”
What’s the Dill With the Name?
The nation’s fastest-growing racquet sport came into being in the summer of 1965 when a teenage son, Frank Pritchard, complained to his father, Joel Pritchard, that there was nothing to do at their seaside cabin on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Joel gathered together various pieces of equipment left over from other sports – a badminton net, table tennis paddles and a Wiffle ball – to devise a game to combat his son’s boredom. Frank’s mother, Joan Pritchard, was a rowing fan and noted that additional rowers would often crew a “pickle boat” in fun competitions. So, she proposed calling the game “pickleball” because it was derived from surplus sporting goods, according to USA Pickleball. Three years later, the family named their cockapoo puppy Pickles after the sport.
Eno River Rugby
Brigid Burns, a 5-foot-2-inch youth librarian, enjoys the physicality as a captain for Eno River Rugby.
“I’m originally from Buffalo, [New York], and rugby wasn’t a huge thing; it still isn’t, but it’s gaining momentum,” Brigid says. “I started playing in 2009 in ninth grade, and I haven’t looked back.”
Brigid says rugby provides a supportive and generous community, noting how it was a top priority for her to find a team when she moved to the area in 2018. “Everybody on every team that I’ve ever been on has been super welcoming, extremely nice and willing to teach people,” she says. “Anybody can play rugby. It can be daunting, but we teach you how to pass the ball, how to tackle, how to play the sport safely and how to grow as a player and as a person. I have developed my leadership skills as a person through rugby, too; working as a team and being able to direct and be calm in tense situations has really helped me in life.”
Eno River Rugby, North Carolina’s oldest women’s rugby club, was founded in 1991 and reincorporated as a nonprofit in 2006. The club is deeply connected to the community, collaborating with other organizations like the LGBTQ Center of Durham and the League of Upper Extremity Wrestling Women of Durham.
Club President Jesse Franklin has played the sport on and off for about 10 years and relishes the adrenaline rush of a game and the strong bonds formed with teammates.
“Nothing beats running down the field and making a clean tackle,” Jesse says. They keep returning to the sport due in large part to the friendships among the 30 to 50 members, who often meet at Kotuku Surf Club on Rigsbee Avenue after Thursday practices or home games.
Jesse expects to see club membership grow since the USA Women’s Rugby Sevens team defeated Australia in the Paris Olympics bronze medal final, winning America’s first medal in rugby sevens.
Coach Sarah Deane, a senior project manager at engineering firm Tetra Tech, first discovered rugby as a student at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She joined the Eno team in 2012.
“Rugby in the South is all about grassroots community,” Sarah says, noting that some club players continue into their 50s and 60s while others come off the field to become coaches, referees, board members or spectators. “You see players who still want to be involved – that’s the rugby community; it never ends. The rugby I know and love touches all aspects of my life. It’s not just the sport; it’s the friendships that you build. You have a ready-made community and family when you show up.”
Inclusivity among participants is as important as safe play on the pitch, Sarah says. “As a coach, it means a lot to see the success that my players have in their lives,” Sarah says about members who have graduated or found a new job. “They are really just living their best life because they have this outlet in a sport that I love. Our joke is we may not have won the game, but we’re gonna show up, and we’re gonna have a good time no matter what. You don’t have to be the best at everything, but as long as you work hard, you’ll get better. It’s more than just a sport for Eno, and to have that spirit endure for as long as it has, I think, is absolutely amazing.”
Bull City Futsal
José Santibañez’s passion for soccer took on new meaning after the birth of his son in 2017. Faced with a desire to create a positive impact in the city where he himself was raised, José founded Bull City Futsal in October 2017. He established the nonprofit Bull City Futsal Academy a year later in September 2018 with the aim of making soccer more accessible to Black and brown youth by addressing barriers such as transportation and affordability of team sports.
José started out by emailing every nearby public school, offering to provide free soccer programs either through physical education classes or after school in Durham Public Schools, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and the Wake County Public School System. Five schools immediately accepted – Eastway Elementary, Lakewood Elementary, Merrick-Moore Elementary, Neal Magnet Middle and Kipp Durham College Prep Middle. By the end of the first year, Bull City Futsal programs were in 10 schools, reaching 1,200 students – a number José says has been consistent year after year.
Futsal is a faster version of soccer that uses a heavier ball, fewer players and a smaller area of play. The game forces players to rely on greater ball control and agility in tight spaces. José says today’s greatest footballers, like Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi, developed their intricate footwork by first playing futsal. Through the nonprofit academy, José offers K-12 students free programs in public schools across Durham, Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Wake County, where staff serve as guest instructors during physical education classes or after-school skill clinics. Students can also sign up for free summer programs to develop specific skills over the course of eight sessions.
Outside of schools, José also runs a separate, competitive program for youth aged 9-14. Families pay what they can afford on a sliding fee scale, which helps support the nonprofit academy. Players in this program try out teams in their age group and compete in La Liga de Toros, which translates to “The League of Bulls.”
Drawing from his own experiences as an immigrant and a father, José is dedicated to not only soccer training, but also connecting families with essential resources and opportunities. Bull City Futsal Academy partners with local organizations like Duke Primary Care, El Futuro and El Centro Hispano, among others, to offer kids free services at an end-of-year celebration tournament.
“A goal of mine is to serve all of DPS in some capacity,” José says. “I had a great coach who held me accountable to high standards, working hard in practice and being good people. He also cared about us outside the game, which is a big part of why I think I fell in love with coaching as well. I want to make sure we have that be part of our program.”
Triangle Curling Club
This volunteer-run club develops and promotes a unique winter sport. It offers options for curlers at every interest and skill level, from younger players (juniors) to adults, from beginners to those more comfortable out on the ice. Programs include classes focused on learning fundamentals as well as competitive leagues for members who are ready for gameplay. The club also offers a series of curling tournaments – known as “bonspiels” in the sport – throughout each season.
Brothers Owen Best, 12, and Ryan Best, 15, are both junior competitive curlers at TCC. “I have been curling at Triangle Curling Club for about two-and a-half years,” Ryan says. “I love playing vice or skip (the third and fourth positions on a curling team), and I have competed in the finals of a junior national qualifier with my brother, Owen, at our club. My favorite part of [the] club are probably the people and volunteers. Triangle Curling Club volunteers make everything at the club possible, from bonspiels to junior advanced commitment leagues, and the community is truly special at TCC. I also love the events the club puts on, like the over-under spiel, Carolina classic and club spiel. It’s the little things the volunteers contribute to the club that make Triangle Curling Club so special.”
“I’ve been curling for about four years,” Owen says. “TCC, being run by volunteers, has a great, friendly community of people. Being a junior myself, I really appreciate the amazing junior coaches who always show up for practice and help me be a better curler. Everyone at TCC is great – from ice makers [those who prepare and maintain the ice for players], junior coaches and bonspiel organizers, everyone at TCC plays their role in trying to make it a great place to hang out and have fun.”
Gina Wilpiszeski and Jason Boettger recently moved to the Parkwood neighborhood from Knoxville, Tennessee, and typically kick off their weekends at TCC’s Friday night league. “What I most love about being part of the Triangle Curling Club is the camaraderie,” Gina says. “Curling is such a social sport! We play in the Friday night league, which seems to attract a low-key crowd, and it’s nice to end the week with a friendly game [of] ‘broomstacking.’ We joined the club when things started opening up in 2021, and we were immediately welcomed into the fold even though we were new to the area and didn’t know anyone.”
“What I appreciate most about the club is the flexibility around involvement,” Jason adds. “Folks can curl only occasionally as a substitute, or they could join several leagues and play multiple days/nights a week. We don’t need to devote most of our free time to still enjoy curling; once a week is a good amount for our schedule. But if you’re looking for a new passion to take up all your free time, the club has plenty of people who seem to be at just about every event!” – by Sinclair Holian
United Thai Boxing & MMA
This Muay Thai-based training gym opened its doors in 2012. Classes focus on teaching technique to members of every experience level, from novices looking for a kickboxing workout to professional fighters. The gym offers programs including Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, youth classes and yoga.
Longtime Durham resident Kelly Joy joined the club in December 2018. At 55, Kelly trains in group Muay Thai classes and also receives private instruction. She’s even competed in a full-contact Muay Thai event. Kelly enjoys supporting other women who train at United and always volunteers to partner up with new female members. “I love being part of the United family,” she says. “You can come here whether you’re experienced or just a beginner, and you still get a great workout. The coaches and trainers here are great and really know what they are talking about. I learned more in my first year at United than in 14 years at other gyms in the Triangle.” – by Sinclair Holian
Triangle Rock Club
Triangle Rock Club offers the largest indoor bouldering space in the state – 27,057 square feet of climbing terrain – a place for members of all ages to reach new heights when it comes to adventurous activities. TRC members also have access to yoga and fitness classes, a variety of exercise equipment, a functional fitness area, a top-rope climbing room, a community lounge and even a private party and conference room.
Varalakshmi Gangadhara – Lakshmi, for short, who was named TRC’s member of the year – says that the benefits of climbing go beyond physical exercise. The mental rewards of the sport help her to focus and stay present, a connection that’s quite personal to her. “The meaning of the name Lakshmi is ’Lakshya,’ which means ‘focus,’” she says. “I focus on the activity and try to learn as deeply as I can.
“When I moved to North Carolina in 2020 during the pandemic, I found a way to connect with new people through [climbing] and took [up] membership with Triangle Rock Club,” she says. “Climbing challenges me physically and mentally, and it helps me to be in the moment. I developed a pure love and passion for climbing. I have met many awesome climbers who, from my life experience, are the most humble human beings. I am very grateful to the TRC community. It’s not just the climbing, the gym, fitness, yoga, meetups, TRC competitions and monthly challenges. I have found my best friends. It’s always a fun, healthy and active community.” – by Sinclair Holian
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