What's the Difference Between 'Westford Racquet and Fitness' and 'Westford Swim and Tennis'?

Have you ever driven by the Westford/Chelmsford border on Route 110 and said to yourself, "wait, didn't I just see that same sign near Bamboo and Belle's Bistro?"

Well, you're not alone. Both facilities, the indoor Westford Racquet and Fitness near the border and the outdoor Westford Swim and Tennis, are owned by the same family, and both facilities are undergoing some changes, including the recent introduction of new Planning and Acquatics director Michael DeLeone.

Westford Patch sat down with DeLeone for a few questions about the business he works for. Here's what we found out.

#1. What Is Your Biggest Program Right Now?

A: Right now it’s swim and tennis. We have a very large swim team in the summer, roughly 180 to 280 kids.

Tennis is huge here, we have five indoor courts and six outdoor courts over there., so we’ve got a lot of leagues, a lot of individual court practices here. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it, there’s so much going on.

#2. You Have Two Facilities. How Do They Differ?

A: The facility on the Westford/Chelmsford line is our year-round facility, it has a six lane pool, five indoor tennis courts, spin studio, group exercise studio and weight/cardio room.

The outdoor facility has six clay tennis courts, a 12 foot diving well with three diving boards: a one meter, two meter and three meter diving board. We also have a kiddie pool, a snack bar and an outdoor volleyball court. That facility operates from June 1 to Labor Day.

#3. What Causes The Confusion Between The Two Facilities?

A: I think it’s just the different name. The indoor facility is currently titled the Westford Racquet and Fitness Club. The outdoor facility is Westford Swim and Tennis Club.

It’s a very similar name, but it is different, so people don’t associate them with each other. They’re 2 ½ to 3 miles apart from each other.

We’re in the process of consolidating that name, and in the course of the new few months there will be a lot of renovation at the indoor facility as well as a lot of renovation at the outdoor facility in the fall to prepare for 2014.

#4. What Are Your Safety Protocols When it Comes to Children?

A: The number one thing we stress is safety when it comes to any kind of camp, especially with children; safety is the number one concern with any parent or supervisor.

We do a CORI (criminal record) and SORI (sex offender) background check for all new employees, if they don’t pass those, we’re not legally allowed to hire them.

I believe our liability insurance is up to $1 million for any sort of damage or injury, but our ratio of supervision is excellent, for swimmers it’s usually four students per one instructor, for camps is six students per one instructor.

Our swimming instructors are in the water, participating in all the activities, they’re giving direction and it’s a very structured program for a camp.  For swimming lessons, there’s definitely good structure, although there might be different lessons depending on the level of swimmers, but our camp program is very structured and it’s determined prior to a day, which is great for the kids so they know what to expect and great for the instructors so they know how to plan ahead for the day.

#5. How Would You Describe Westford Racquet and Fitness in a Nutshell?

A: It’s a family friendly atmosphere where parents can drop off their kids for lessons, whether it’s tennis or swimming. In the future, when we develop our sports programs, (parents) will be able to drop them off and work out for an hour or play tennis with their friends.

We hope to develop a larger lounge area with smoothies and health conscious snacks.

It’s just a great place for to meet other parents with similar interests, there’s plenty of cardio and weight equipment, you never have to wait long except on the weekends when it comes to tennis courts, so the usage of our equipment isn’t as busy as you’d find at other clubs.

If you're a business owner in Westford and would like us to stop by and ask you our Five Questions for an upcoming Five Questions column, e-mail us at westford@patch.com