MEMBERSHIP MATTERS MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
From the General Manager
DearMembers,
As I reflect on the past 12 months since joining the Louisville Boat Club as General Manager, I’m filled with gratitude and excitement for all we ’ ve accomplished together This year has been a valuable learning experience, and I’ve dedicated significant time to thoroughly assessing every area of the club, prioritizingbothimmediateneedsandlong-termgoals
One of my primary focuses has been elevating our Food & Beverage program
From hiring our talented Executive Chef, Heber Godsey to building a cohesive and dedicated team, we ’ ve made significant strides Together, we ’ ve introduced weekly specials, 99¢ kid’s meals, new menus, and revived our Sunday brunches We’ve also improved food offerings and wait times at the Pavilion, enhancing the overall diningexperience
This progress extends beyond Member dining. Our banquet and catering business has flourished, highlighted by the success of hosting a 300-person wedding a testament to the hard work of our team and the reputation we are building Recently, we welcomed Adrian Montgomery as our new Dining Room Manager In his short time here, Adrian has implemented SOPs and training programs, further improving the level of service our Members enjoy And there’s moretocome,includingonlineorderingandtheongoingdevelopmentofourFood &Beverageteam.
Our social calendar has also been a vibrant part of the club this year, with outstanding events like Cru Society dinners, Wine Festivals, the Dink & Drink PickleballLeague SwimandDiveteamactivities,JuniorTennisCamps,andtheBoat Race party, which drew over 815 attendees From hosting the Rafa Nadal Tennis AcademytoFamilyBingoNightsandtheNationalSquashLeaguematch ourevents havecontinuedtobringMemberstogetherandstrengthenourcommunity
Facility improvements have been another key focus area, ensuring our aging Clubhouse and grounds are equipped to serve Members for years to come This year,wecompletedprojectssuchas:
Installinganewdivingplatformanddivingboard
Installed new HVAC systems for the Courtroom, Crow’s Nest, Formal Living Room,MirrorRoom,andSquashHouse,totalofover80k NewheatersintheTennisBarn
RefreshingentrancestotheTennisBarnandSquashHouse
InstallednewtreadonthestairstotheViewingRoom
Upgradingparkinglotlightingforsafety
Addressing long-standing repairs, including kitchen equipment to maximize efficiency
Enhancingthepoolareawithanewplaysetandrevampedbabypool
Looking ahead, we have ambitious plans for 2025, including a second diving platform, a new elevator expanded play areas, pool upgrades, a new website, improved dining services with online ordering, and more Progress takes time, but I’m confident we ’ re on the right path toward a brighter, more sustainable future for LBC
Finally, I hope you’ll join us to kick off our Club reopening with the Member Appreciation Casino Night on January 24th Save the date for this special event as wecelebrateoursharedsuccessesandlookforwardtowhat’snext!
Thank you for your ongoing support, enthusiasm, and commitment to the LouisvilleBoatClub I’mhonoredtoserveasyourGeneralManagerandamexcited forwhatthefutureholdsforusall
BestRegards,
SarahRussell
GeneralManager
srussell@louisvilleboatclubcom
From the President
Dear LBC Members,
Happy New Year!
I am excited to join the rest of the Board Officers (Henry Kelsey, VP/Membership; Chris Schaefer, Treasurer; Wayne Wilson, Secretary; and Steve McCombs, R I P ) and our GM, Sarah Russell, for a another year to continue the momentum we achieved in addressing the needs of our Club in 2024 We welcome three new Directors: Miles Mussetter who will join Tom Campbell as the board liaisons for all things racquets, Deanna Gordinier who will serve as the Fitness liaison, and Erin Eggers Fidler as our Entertainment Committee liaison
Together with returning Directors, Tom Scovil (House) and Kate Huff (Swim), the board’s focus for 2025 is on growing our membership and we need your help! How? Join a committee, show the Club off to your friends and neighbors, host events at the club, and like and share the club’s social media posts on Facebook and Instagram
I look forward to seeing you when the Club reopens on Friday, January 24th for our Member Appreciation Casino Night!
Sincerely,
Michelle Black White LBC President president@louisvilleboatclub
com
We are looking to have an exciting year, but before we dive in, let’s take a quick glance back at what happened last month December brought us to our annual Paddles Up Pickleball Invitational This event featured men ’ s and women ’ s doubles as well as a mixed doubles event Congratulations to our winners of the men ’ s event, Scott Menzel and Alex Menzel Second place went to Tom Campbell and Trip Campbell with third place going to Dave Mahan and Will Mahan Congratulations to our ladies’ champions, Wendy Menzel and Jill Ragan Second place went to Carol Jones and Betsy Huestis and third place went to Kate Huff and Mary Kate Shain. In our mixed doubles event, the championship went to Wendy Menzel and Alex Menzel Second place went to Tom Campbell and Wendy Knabel with third place going to Andy Southworth and Betsy Huestis Congratulations to all of our participants and thank you for making the 2024 Paddles Up Pickleball Invitational a great success Moving forward, let’s take a look at what’s happening in January with LBC racquets
TENNIS:
Tennis in January will see the resumption of adult and junior clinics, team practices, and fast feeds We will resume our Junior Development program starting the week of January 6th. Please check the newly updated junior development program flyer for our spring session Within our junior program, we will encourage participants to sign up for a 4-week session, which will offer discounted pricing compared to our drop-in rates This will also allow us to properly staff our junior clinics We will require at least 3 participants per clinic for each 4-week session for the clinic to take place Clinics with less than 3 participants or no participation will be canceled that session This January, we will also look to introduce new fast feeds into our schedule Please stay tuned for updates and check our weekly Message from the Directoremailforthefastfeedschedule
PICKLEBALL:
Pickleball in January will bring lots of fun and excitement to LBC Glow in the Dark Pickleball will make its introduction to LBC in late January Courts will be lit with black lights, lines and nets will be painted neon and the music will be pumping This event is sure to be fun for the whole family We encourage participants to wear neon colors and get ready for a great time In January, we will also continue with our Monday men ’ s pickleball leagues as well as our Saturday Dink and Drink pickleball leagues Invite a friend and sign up for our fun and competitive pickleball leagues held each week Also continuing in January is our Tactical Pickleball clinics on Wednesdays at 5pm Tactical Pickleball will introduce a new tactical theme each week that will improve your pickleball game To sign up, please contact the pro shoporemailyourinteresttotcurran@louisvilleboatclub.com.
PLATFORMTENNIS:
Platform tennis in January will be heating up! We will look to re-introduce our Wednesday platform tennis open play on Wednesdaynightsat6pm Thelightsandfirepitwillbeonandweencourageplatformtennisloverstograbafriendand come out for a great night of platform tennis play We will also look to offer platform tennis private lessons starting in January Please contact Travis Curran if you are interested in learning the incredibly fun and quick sport of platform tennis Finally, toward the end of the month, we will look to hold our annual Campbell Cup platform tennis event This event will include the best platform players in the city playing a team format that will see who will win the coveted CampbellCupin2025 Staytunedformoreinformationonthe2025CampbellCup
We are looking forward to a great year on the courts Let’s make 2025 a special year for LBC racquets Hope to see you onthecourt!
Allthebest, Travis Curran
LBCDirectorofTennis,Pickleball,andPlatformTennis
FITNESS UPDATES
FITNESS SPOTLIGHT
Featuring Ash Gillenwater
Athletics and fitness had always been a large part of Ash and Ashley Gillenwater’s lives Ash grew up playing numerous sports including swimming, football, and running track through high school in Richmond, VA Ashley played basketball and field hockey at Sacred Heart Academy She continued to play field hockey at Wittenburg University Both Ash and Ashley remained active until Covid “I feel like that’s when life was just sucked out of us, ” Ash jokes.
During the Covid Pandemic, they were in survival mode trying to raise three young children balancing at-home school lessons, work, and some semblance of normalcy Ash recalls at one point during the Pandemic that Ashley showed him a photo of the two of them from the previous year stating, “What happened to those people? I want to be those people again ” The picture showed slimmer and happier versions of themselves The picture was posted to a kitchen cabinet to serve as a reminder to become more active once life normalized.
It was the spring of 2021 when they were searching for a permanent club to join They had previously been summer members of several Louisvillearea clubs, but were not completely satisfied They wanted a club that felt familiar while offering numerous first-class amenities The Louisville Boat Club did just that Besides the river access and racquet sports, one of the main selling points for them was the Fitness Center with its view of the Ohio River! Ash recalls he was sold once he learned of LBC’s affiliation with Elevate Fitness, knowing that he could do classes at both LBC and at Mellwood Art Center near his office in Butchertown
Since joining LBC, both Ash and Ashley feel like they have returned to their pre-Covid selves Ashley is active in tennis while Ash enjoys the Fitness Center and the various Elevate classes Several days a week Ash breaks up his workday by joining a lunchtime Elevate class at the Mellwood Art Center Ash says the classes are convenient to his office and they are challenging, focusing on functional fitness while constantly moving. He says he always leaves the classes dripping sweat! Since joining LBC, Ash has noticed his fitness has improved in all areas Some of the best but least anticipated benefits are reduced stress, improved sleep, and friendships made with other class members
“What motivates me is my family I want to make sure that I am here for them for decades to come My father, who is nearly 89 and is going strong, has always placed a big emphasis on fitness He still works out three times a week With young children, I need to lead by example I want my kids to understand that you can be fit and active even as you age Being consistent is key ”
Ash recently competed in his first Hyrox event in Chicago this past November. Hyrox is a fitness competition consisting of eight 1-kilometer runs each separated by a fitness station (1000 meter Ski Erg, 50 meter sled push, 50 meter sled pull, 80 meter burpee broad jumps, 1000 meter rower, 200 meter farmers carry, 100 meter weighted lunges, and 100 wall balls) Chris Thompson, owner of Elevate Fitness, is a big competitor in Hyrox and Chris had been encouraging Ash to do Hyrox for several years After Ash lost his mom in early 2024, he decided that 2024 would be the year he’d finally compete Ash signed up for the November race as it was close to his mom ’ s birthday and would be a way to celebrate her Ash says that the event itself was intense but was a blast with an energy level that is unmatched given the 4,300 participants Ash had a goal to finish the race in under 90 minutes He is thrilled that he was able to beat his goal and after having done a Hyrox race, he knows where he can improve.
Ash says, “The classes at Elevate really had me prepared for Hyrox Having my family and other Elevate class members there cheering is what motivated me through the race I think my kids, even my teenage son, have a new appreciation of me after having seen me grind through the race While I haven’t committed to any future events, I look forward to continuing to participate in Hyrox and other similar events ”
Having met many new friends over the past three years through LBC’s various activities including tennis, swimming, boating, and fitness classes, Ash and Ashley agree that their post-Covid desire to get fit is well beyond their initial expectations.
CLUB UPDATES
Members
Contact General Manager, Sarah Russell, for Membership Information.
Please welcome our new members and their families!
Mr Mark Holloway and Mrs Ann Marie Elpers
Check out the 2025 Swim Schedule!
The 2025 Swim Team season is fast approaching, and it's time to mark your calendars! ��
Get ready for an exciting year of meets, practices, and team spirit Stay tuned for registration info and all the details you need to be a part of the action!
Save the Dates!
Sunday, March 16 - Summer Sports and Swim Signup
Tuesday, May 27 - First Practice
Saturday, May 31 @ 10am - Parent Meeting
Sunday, June 8 - LBC @ Away
Sunday, June 15 LBC @ Home
Sunday, June 22 - LBC @ Home
Sunday, July 13 - LBC @ Away
Tuesday, July 15 - PJ and Pasta Dinner
Thursday, July 17 - Sunday, July 20City Meet @ Audubon
Tuesday, July 22 - Swim Banquet
Go Typhoons!!
Board of Directors
Club Staff
Check out our Paddles Up Pickleball Tournament participants!
Michelle Black White – President
Henry Kelsey – Vice President & Membership
Chris Schaefer – CFO & Finance
Wayne Wilson – Secretary & River
Steve McCombs – Vice Chair, R.I.P.
Tom Campbell – Past President & Racquets and Bocce
Kate Huff – Director, Swim
Deanna Gordinier – Director, Fitness
Miles Mussetter – Director, Racquets
Tom Scovil – Director, House
Erin Eggers Fidler – Director, Entertainment
General Manager - Sarah Russell ext 116
Assistant Manager, Director of Hospitality & Banquets
George Henry ext 111
Director of Finance & Human Resources
Jennifer Kaiser ext. 114
Director of Paddle, Pickle & Tennis
Travis Curran ext 123
Housekeeping Supervisor - Connie Bates ext 122
Director of Facilities - Ken Goodlett
Executive Chef - Heber C Godsey IV ext 117
