02-25-2024 Harford Mag - Flipbook - Page 56
Best of Harford
Kathy and Keith
Rawlings, owners of
The Arena Club, stand
in their facility’s new
addition, the Pickle
Factory, which features
indoor pickleball courts.
PHOTO BY BARBARA
HADDOCK TAYLOR
56
RECREATION
BEST GYM/FITNESS CENTER & SWIM CLUB
The Arena Club
2304 E. Churchville Road, Bel Air. 410-734-7300. thearenaclub.com
At The Arena Club, opened by
Keith and Kathy Rawlings in 2003, a
distinctive culture has been growing for
over two decades.
“The Arena Club’s success is really
because of our people,” said Keith
Rawlings, 59. “It’s because we have
incredible staff, we have an incredible
management team. … We have
members that care about each other.”
The couple opened the club,
Rawlings said, to focus on families.
With an array of group fitness
classes, personal training, an aquatics
| Spring 2024 | harfordmagazine.com
complex with multiple pools for
different activities, camps for kids and
much more, The Arena Club caters to
“infants up to seniors,” Rawlings said.
“We’ve had people working out in their
90s.”
In October, the Rawlings opened
the Pickle Factory as part of The Arena
Club, boasting nine indoor pickleball
courts. More than 200 people signed
up for the club’s first tournament in
January, Rawlings said.
“It’s huge,” he said of the sport’s
popularity.
