Another dream come true at Goshen Sports Complex

After five year struggle, tennis pro Ari Roberts says he can hardly believe the courts are finally here, By Geri Corey Goshen — For 30-year-old Ari Roberts, the opening of the Goshen Sports Complex on Route 17M is a dream come true. Although it took longer to happen than expected, the complex is open and ready for business. And as the general manager, Roberts is happy. The sports complex is already doing well. The indoor soccer field is “just about booked for every peak hour,” Roberts said. The field, which is the largest indoor field in Orange County, has artificial grass that Roberts notes is “just like playing on real grass, without the mowing or weather problems.” Besides accommodating soccer and flag football leagues, the complex has a soccer trainer to run other programs. A second field, a hefty 200 by 90 feet, will be ready for play by late January. Spectators have a great viewing deck for watching the field sports or playing arcade games. Roberts has a strong background in tennis, beginning when he was a10-year-old playing matches with his father. He played at Monroe-Woodbury high school and at Ithaca College, where he graduated with a major in business management and minors in legal studies and finance. He finished second on the all-time win list. Roberts is now a certified tennis pro. He started teaching in 1997, and by 2001 he was teaching on his own. In 2003 the Wilson Sporting Goods Company asked him to be an elite advisory member for the firm a spot he still holds. At the sports complex, he has five assistant certified pros working under him. “I’m particular who I hire,” he said, adding, “They’re all great.” The tennis courts are exceptional, as they offer plenty of room behind the baseline, lighting that reflects off the ceiling to eliminate glare, a ceiling height of 42 feet at its peak, and a climate-controlled room. Players are given the option of joining the sports complex as a tennis member or a tennis/fitness combo. Match Point Tennis offers lessons, clinics and adult open drills. On a “no commitment” basis, players can enjoy one hour of instruction and 30 minutes of match play. Members pay $18; non-members pay $30. Roberts is running Match Point Tennis with a club-like atmosphere, complete with socials and holiday affairs where members can get to know each other. “We’re hoping people come to play and spend time here,” he said. The large building with the “crazy” windows” houses a Turf 17 field for soccer, lacrosse, flag football and baseball; Match Point Tennis; Straub’s Fitness; and a soon-to-open café offering paninis, salads, wraps and desserts. Three party rooms — Emerald, Amber and Sapphire—offer child friendly food and one-hour of a sport of choice. A pro-shop, open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., stocks sports equipment and strings rackets. Roberts said the unusually slanted windows, which attract the curiosity of passers-by on Route 17M, “break up the enormity of the building and let in plenty of light.” Under a separate membership, an indoor/outdoor pool, just under Olympic size, is planned for a spring opening. Roberts conceived of the multi-sports complex in 2004, bought the property in 2005, and began construction in early 2006. When partnership problems surfaced in 2007, the dream business came to a halt. The issue ended up in court, with the bank putting the building up for sale. But here’s where the downhill descent takes an uphill turn. “I knew Darshan [Chilana] from buying ice at his gas station,” Roberts said of the new owner. “We talked a little. One time I was on my way home from court when Darshan called me on my cell. He asked me to meet him at the building. That was hard for me because 2006 and 2007 were the hardest years for me, and I didn’t want anything to do with the place. But I met him there. That’s when he told me that he bought the building.” Roberts admits he was in shock for a while, but then his wheels started spinning that he had to get the building going. “I thought, ‘My dream could come true!’” he said. Roberts said Chilana is “a great person.” He’s also pleased that his parents are actively involved in the business. His dad, Bruce, lends a hand every night, and his mom, Marsha, is involved with plantings and the building’s “curb appeal.” He still suffers a pang of disbelief that the courts are here, and that people come and play. “It was surreal when I played on the court the first time,” he said.