David Morin recalled how his father, Maurice “Moe” Morin, deemed tennis as the sport of a lifetime.
His reasoning is that if you’ve learned it once, you don’t really forget how to play, said Morin, who serves as the president and general manager of Fore Court Racquet & Fitness Club in Cumberland.
Now, 50 years after Maurice Morin opened Fore Court, it’s safe to say his sentiment has stood the test of time.
“We’ve seen a lifetime of people,” said David Morin, who runs the club alongside his brother Brian, the club’s vice president and a tennis instructor. “We’re at a third generation of players with the people that started in the ’70s who now have grandkids playing here.”
The facility originally started out with eight tennis courts, but over the years the business has continued to adapt to dynamic fitness trends.
The facility was expanded in 1978 to make room for racquetball courts as the sport gained popularity, David Morin said. Then as demand for racquetball declined, some of those courts were taken out to make room for the fitness business in the 1980s, which is around the same time Morin said he started working at the family business full time.
Now just two racquetball courts remain, but more recently people at Fore Court can be found playing an increasingly popular sport: pickleball.
Fore Court offers pickleball leagues throughout the week and Morin said about half the courts are occupied with 75 to 80 people playing pickleball on any given Saturday afternoon.
“We introduced pickleball about a year ago on a more serious basis and it has exploded,” Morin said. “It’s the fastest-growing sport in the world at this time; it’s something for all ages.”
The tennis courts are adapted to offer pickleball, but tennis has remained one of Fore Court’s primary focuses as the business has continued to evolve.
“Pickleball is growing, so we’re looking to see how we can maximize the court usage, at the same time keeping in mind we are still growing our tennis programs,” Morin said. “Then on the fitness side, we like to see what the trends are out there and adapt our programs with new equipment, reorganization, etc.”
Fore Court offers tennis lessons, clinics and leagues for players of all ages and Morin said he hopes to continue maximizing the facility’s existing space.
While the business took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fore Court now has approximately 1,700 members, Morin said. He added that people of all ages – ranging from 3 to 90 – come to work out, play sports such as tennis or pickleball, and enjoy a sense of camaraderie.
Now as the business has celebrated its 50th anniversary, Morin says he hopes to continue welcoming people to the courts for many more years to come.
“We’re set, we’re celebrating 50 years, which is certainly a milestone,” Morin said. “We would love to be able to see the business itself grow and continue to see people on the courts, see people in the lobby and see people working out.”
