Village Pickleball & Playbook
One roof—literally—and one platform for everything under it.
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1. The Organization
Village Pickleball combines premium playing facilities with a vibrant social atmosphere in the heart of Manhattan. With both indoor and rooftop courts, the club caters to players of all skill levels while offering spectacular NYC skyline views that set it apart from traditional sports venues.
Village Pickleball
NYC's first rooftop pickleball club
Facility Highlights
Courts
3 climate-controlled indoor courts
4 rooftop courts with skyline views
Programs
Leagues
Camps
Lessons
Open play
Corporate events
Memberships
Goal
Build a flagship brand in NYC, then replicate it in new neighborhoods
2. The Challenge
Launching a one-of-a-kind rooftop venue meant juggling more than just court bookings. Village Pickleball needed:
"We demoed the usual tennis & pickle platforms, but none could tie everything together in one place—until we saw Playbook."
— Mike Mushell, Co-Founder
3. The Playbook Solution
| Requirement | How Playbook Delivered |
|---|---|
| Remote Access | API tie-in to SmartLock system; members tap the RG-style app to unlock rooftop gates. |
| Registrations & Payments | One portal handles leagues, lessons, and corporate buyouts—families and HR teams alike. |
| Court Bookings | Real-time availability across indoor & rooftop surfaces; auto blackout for cleaning and private events. |
| Corporate Invoicing | Custom templates generate invoices and contracts in a click. |
| Marketing | Drag-and-drop email + built-in SMS blasts; AI "Off-Peak Filler" suggests promos when courts sit empty. |
| Website & SEO | Playbook Web team designed a fast, mobile-first site (complete with rooftop drone footage). |
| Branded App | "Village Pickleball" live in iOS/Android stores—schedules, gate access, push alerts. |
| AI Agents | Lead-gen bot captures inquiries, Sponsor Outreach drafts partnership decks, Utilization Heatmap spots slow hours. |
"Compared to the other two or three leading platforms, Playbook was the only one that checked every box—and the pricing made sense because it's all in."
— Mike Mushell, Co-Founder
4. Launch & Everyday Operations
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Turn-key onboarding—Playbook imported 1,300 pre-sale leads, configured SmartLock rules, and trained staff in under four weeks.
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Seamless check-ins—members scan the app; staff get real-time occupancy data.
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Weather flexibility—a single toggle moves rooftop leagues inbound when rain hits.
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Off-peak filled—AI promo engine pushes "Lunch Break Open Play" offers via SMS, driving court utilization Monday–Thursday.
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Sponsor wins—first outreach campaign secured a local brewery partnership for rooftop league nights.
"Playbook doesn't just track bookings—they actually help us find bookings. That's the difference."
5. Results (First Four Months)
| Metric | Impact |
|---|---|
| Membership conversion | 38% of trial players upgraded to paid plans via in-app prompts |
| Off-peak utilization | +27% on weekday mid-day slots |
| Corporate revenue | 14 events booked & invoiced through Playbook templates |
| Support response time | <1 hr average (per Zendesk) |
| Brand presence | 4.9⭐ rating for the Village Pickleball app; drone video featured in TimeOut NYC |
6. Partnership Highlights
Beyond software, a true partnership that drives success
People First
The Playbook team integrated seamlessly with our staff, providing hands-on training and personalized support throughout the launch process.
Above & Beyond
Playbook sourced an FAA-cleared drone photographer to capture stunning rooftop court footage that became central to our marketing campaign.
Roadmap Aligned
Village Pickleball has early access to Playbook's upcoming AI Call-Answer Bot and dynamic pricing tools, with custom features based on our feedback.
"They go the extra mile, and you can tell they're having fun doing it. That energy matters when you're opening something this crazy in Manhattan."
— Mike Mushell, Founder
7. Looking Ahead
Expansion
Second rooftop location scouting underway—Playbook app will expand with venue selector.
Dynamic Pricing
Dynamic pricing AI to fine-tune court rates by demand and weather.
Media Features
League livestream + highlight reels for rooftop championship nights.
8. Key Takeaway
For a facility that mixes skyline views, multi-sport programming, and corporate events, Playbook is the rare platform that handles every operational detail—from gate unlocks to sponsorship decks—while staying warm, responsive, and genuinely invested in Village Pickleball's growth.
Beyond the Court
The partnership between Village Pickleball and Playbook | Teammate AI continues to deliver value
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