Saturday was picture-perfect for the 2021 New England Junior Sectional Tennis Championships, held last weekend at the Manchester Athletic Club.
The new management team for the Manchester Athletic Club will be Jess and Josh Pletka, who live in Andover and are long-time members of the Atwater Avenue club.
Cell Signaling Technology, the new owners of the property on which the athletic club sits, and Simboli Properties, the owners of the club for the past six years, issued a joint press release on Tuesday announcing the change of management.
According to the press release, CST and the Pletka team have agreed to a long-term contract to allow the Pletkas to operate the club.
The Pletkas’ background in management, business and sports medicine and their willingness to make the transition as seamless as possible were significant factors in their selection, according to the press release.
“Josh and I are thankful for this wonderful opportunity, and we want to thank Cell Signaling Technology for their support,” said Jess Pletka. “As long-time and committed members of the MAC, we are passionate about tennis and fitness, and we want to harness that passion to ensure the club remains a community fixture for generations to come. A family friendly atmosphere and environment will be the driving focus of our vision.”
In a sign that the club will continue along the same path as it has while under the direction of Anthony Simboli, the club’s women’s tennis teams will be participating in the North Shore Tennis League again this Fall with matches scheduled to begin October 3.
The Pletkas stressed that they were looking to build upon many of the traditions created by the Simboli family. But they also want to enhance the club so that it continues as a premier fitness and racquet sport facility on the North Shore.
A few of the enhancements being considered include, according to the press release:
• Expanding fitness and group classes;
• Returning the popular café to the club;
• Joining a paddle tennis league;
• Developing robust pickleball offerings;
• Expanding health and wellness offerings to include nutrition, injury prevention, weight loss, bone health, flexibility, sports massage and medical education
“As a MAC member and resident of Manchester, I am excited about the enthusiasm the Pletkas share for maintaining and expanding upon the tradition of the MAC,” said Michael Comb, president and CEO of Cell Signal Technology. “Their abilities and plans for the future will ensure the club will remain a wonderful community asset.”
CST subsidiaries purchased the Atwater Avenue parcel in July, including the MAC, to create a life science campus. Originally it was announced that the club would close on September 30. But then last week, CST and Simboli announced that new management team would be found to ensure that access to the club’s excellent tennis and fitness programs and services take over the clubs starting October 1.
