Plex 1.0 began with the purchase of the Sportsplex property in 2020. It has grown from 62 members to over 3000, with 20,000 check-ins last year. We are very excited to launch Plex 2.0, which will be the next step in making the Plex the home of top-quality coaching, facilities, and national tournaments.
Introducing Plex 2.0!
The Pickleball Park
In a public/private collaboration, the City of Bristol TN is breaking ground on a 13 court public pickleball park in 2023 that will be one of the nicest parks in the country. The Plex will build the Patio at the Plex, which will provide a vibrant social area that includes an indoor/outdoor bar, golf simulators, turfed social and fitness area.
The Bristol Sportsplex is going national! We are excited to announce that the Carvana PPA Tour, the professional pickleball tour, is coming to the Sportsplex, August 15–18!
The stop in Bristol is one of the few national PPA tournaments taking place in the South next year and will feature the top male and female pickleball players from around the world. The PPA tour awards more than $5.5 million in annual prize money with equal play and pay.
Carvana PPA Tour
A full indoor/outdoor bar, The Patio, connecting the current indoor center, indoor soccer, and future outdoor courts will be the heartbeat of Plex 2.0. Like the Plex, the Patio will serve options for the whole family, including smoothies, coffee, liquor, frozees, and local draft beer. The food truck-friendly social space will welcome a variety of food options. High-end golf simulators will add another sport to the Plex offerings.
The Patio at the Plex
A Vision for Racquet Sports
Looking out from the indoor courts, the Sportsplex will become an expansive recreational and social space for Bristol families to learn and play together. Court 1 will function as social/spectator space connecting the lobby with the new facilities, as well as, becoming a flex court. The Flex Court will be used for red ball junior tennis, cardio tennis, other accessible versions of tennis, and pickleball. It will act as a bridge between pickleball and tennis, allowing players to transition between the two racquet sports.
Recruiting Top Coaches
Plex 2.0 will allow us to recruit top quality coaches like Ripley Amell and Matt Yelton to Bristol. While Plex 1.0 aimed to become functional, Plex 2.0 is far more ambitious as we seek to bring top class racquet, soccer, and fitness coaching to Bristol through an academy model.
Ripley Amell
Tennis Director
The founder and director of Tournament Players Academy (TPA), Ripley has a successful track record in both junior and adult tennis development. TPA was originally based in Tampa, FL, and later relocated to Boone, NC. Despite continuing some programs in Boone, TPA has now moved its headquarters to the Plex, where it is expected to have a significant impact on tennis.
“I consider Ripley to be in the top 1% of the coaches in the US.”
Brett Hobden, former coach of Andre Agassi
“Ripley is one of the best coaches I’ve ever met … In my opinion, Ripley brings together all the qualities required by a tennis coach of players interested in high performance. I highly recommend him.”
Pablo Gonzales, ATP Top 200, Davis Cup Captain, and coach of 2019 US Open Doubles Champions
Matt Yelton
Soccer Director
Matt Yelton, former women's soccer coach and director, brings extensive experience and success to the Plex. He has led teams to national championships and coached at top clubs in Chattanooga. Yelton is also an assistant with the ETSU women's program.
Developing Coaches
Plex 2.0 will invest in recruiting young coaches to Bristol and developing them under experienced directors. Since housing is such a barrier for recent graduates, the Plex has purchased residential property to provide housing for talented coaches. For the Plex to reach our ambitious goals, we will have to develop both players and coaches.
In House Physical Therapy
Plex 2.0 is a holistic vision that includes developing both young athletes and mature athletes. This requires professional sports performance and rehabilitation services to keep young and old bodies at peak performance. We are so excited to add Ryan Sparks’ Sparked Rehab and Athletics to the Plex. A physical therapist with experience in high performance training, Ryan will provide free consultations to gold members, injury prevention classes, high performance academy training, and a full rehab clinic inside the Plex.
A Big Vision for Soccer
After a successful pilot program, the Soccer Academy is adding U6, U8, U10, and U12 teams to its partnership with Tri-Cities United. We believe we will be able to significantly raise the quality of soccer in Bristol.
