Another Swing

Amid growing protest, JCC stands firm on closing its racquet courts — but o ers an alternative.

SHARON LUCKERMAN
StaffWriter

D

espite a new outcry from
100 high school students
and faculty at the Jewish
Academy of Metropolitan
Detroit, the Jewish Community
Center has ended hope for saving the
16 racquetball and squash courts to be
eliminated at the West Bloomfield
JCC during its final phase of renova-
tions.
Rather than undertaking the option
of raising $4 million to save some
courts, the JCC is brokering a deal
with Franklin Fitness and Racquet
Club (FFRC) in Southfield for a
workable alternative, which includes
adding a double squash court.
At a specially called June 12 meeting
with JCC racquetball and squash play-
ers, David Sorkin, JCC executive
director, was to reveal the creation of a
special membership at the Franklin
club, with an add-on membership to
the JCC at a reduced rate.
"Hopefully, the players will see the
benefit in this partnership between the
JCC and the Franklin Fitness and
Racquet Club," said Sharon Hart,
JCC president. "This will allow the
players to continue their association
with the JCC and, at the same time,
have the opportunity to play a sport
that means so much to them."
In a press statement, Sorkin said the
JCC racquetball and squash players
will be eligible for a special member-
ship arrangement at Franklin. "Under
this agreement, FFRC is offering a dis-
counted membership for one year and
a special rate for seniors. The club also
will waive its $400 initiation fee."
He added that the JCC is also offer-
ing its racquet sports players a two-
year membership discount.
This special rate at the FFRC would
be offered to JCC members whether
they continued their connection to the
JCC or not.
But Sorkin said he hoped the players
would stay at the JCC for the cama-
raderie and the Jewish connection, and
that they and their families would
enjoy the renovated JCC sports mid
fitness wing, which will incorporate
the 19,000-square-foot area of the
present racquet courts. (In interviews

Rick Brode, president, and his father, Seymour, chairman of the Franklin Fitness
and Racquet Club in Southfield.

this week, Sorkin corrected the figure
previously given the Jewish News from
24,000 'square feet.) Construction of
the new wing is scheduled to begin in
mid-July.

Students Join Protest

Students and staff at the Jewish
Academy of Metropolitan Detroit use
the courts as part of their physical edu-
cation curriculum, and were unhappy
about the decision to close all the
courts. They gathered 100 signatures
on a petition protesting the decision.

"I was insulted when the JCC said
they were getting rid of all their rac-
quetball and squash courts — and
alienating members. So, as a player, I
felt something should be done," said
10th-grader Jonathan Guyer of
Huntington Woods, who initiated the
petition.
JCC racquetball player Lisa
Woerdeman, 41, of West Bloomfield
has been displeased with the handling
of the situation. She learned of the
June 12 meeting when she heard
about a sign posted June 10 at the
JCC. Again, "the JCC gave us no time

to prepare for the meeting," she said,
referring to the initial meeting three
weeks ago when the JCC first dis-
cussed closing the courts.
Like many of the 150 JCC players,
she believed there still would be a
chance to raise money to save some
courts. However, it already was deter-
mined on May 31 by the JCC board
of directors that the racquetball and
squash courts must go and that no
amount of fund-raising could bring
them back, Sorkin told the Jewish
News.
In cooperation with the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
Sorkin said, "we engaged a fund-rais-
ing consultant to assess the possibility
of raising money [S4 million] in the
community for this purpose aid
determined that in the community at
large, there really wasn't the commit-
ment to raise that level of funds for
this particular purpose."
"For three years, we've been trying
to look for alternatives other than to
close the courts," Sorkin added. "But
we concluded that the best road for-
,
ward would be to close them.
Federation's Millennium Campaign
for Detroit's Jewish Future, begun in
1998, has grown to $58 million, $33
million of which is earmarked for JCC
improvement and endowment.
In previous statements, Sorkin has
said racquetball is a declining sport in
this area. Yet the U.S. Racquetball
Association disputes that claim. As
reported on its Web site, according to
the Sporting Goods Manufacturing
Association, the number of racquetball
players in this country is up 2.7 per-
cent; geographically, the South and
North Central parts of the United
States are the "hot spots."
But, when reviewing the current and
upcoming market for fitness centers,
Sorkin said the JCC board decided the
space now taken up by the 16 courts
could be better utilized by offering a
wider range of services to a greater
number of people.

Looking For An Alternative

Once the May 31 decision was made,
Sorkin said he began discussions with
Rick Brode, president of the Franklin

ANOTHER SWING on page 16

6/14
2002

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