Prodigy Athletic Center, or (thankfully) PAC for short, is a new (five-month-old), innovative, all-inclusive sports facility in Somers. The center features – deep breath – four volleyball courts; four pickleball courts; a fully-equipped fitness center; a yoga and dance studio; a dedicated matted space for martial arts and kickboxing; a classroom for training and tutoring; and physical therapy services, as well as cutting-edge speed and agility training for athletes.
That’s to say, 25,000 square feet of top-of-the-line amenities, which gives weight to PAC’s claim to be “Westchester County’s premier multisport facility,” dedicated to providing a “comprehensive training environment for athletes of all ages and abilities.”
We connected with the center’s founders, New York state youth and high school coaching veterans Bill and Diane Swertfager, along with partner Daniel Papes, to see just how much attention we should be paying the new facility. The answer – a lot.
Papes – who, like Bill Swertfager, was raised in Chappaqua – further clarified PAC’s mission, which was, he said, to create an outstanding sports facility that serves families throughout the area.
He told the Westfair Business Journal that he and Bill Swertfager had both long lamented the lack of youth athletic programs and facilities that cared about the entire development of young athletes, and they saw a gap in the market: “There were plenty of youth sports-oriented companies that could train teenage and high school athletes in skills and techniques for a particular sport, but there was a dearth of programs that focused on the athlete as a whole…to train athletes who also had a foundation that would support them in having a happy, balanced and successful life.”
“At PAC, we believe that character is as important as skill,” said Diane Swertfager. “Our goal is to help young people grow not only as athletes but also as individuals who are prepared for life’s challenges.”
She herself brings to PAC a legacy of coaching success as a four-time state volleyball champion coach and 17-time Section 1 champion at Hendrick Hudson Central School District in Westchester County, while Bill Swertfager’s career includes achievements as a New York state wrestling champion and all-state football player. Papes himself is a former IBM and Digital Realty executive who now does advisory, consulting and investment work, and who has coached more than 50 seasons of youth sports in Chappaqua.
The space now occupied by PAC had been vacant for about three years when the present owners leased it. They were, as Papes explained, “looking for additional facilities in other regions that didn’t cannibalize our market.” While the new venture was financed by the owners from previous business successes, Papes said that the town of Somers provided support in the form of a responsive attitude toward the PAC’s planning applications. He added the town had also been reasonable in working through the considerations of the community and PAC’s customer base. To meet that base, PAC employs approximately 50 people, either full- or part-time, most of them from Westchester County.
While somewhat reluctant to reveal actual figures about projected growth and profits over the next five years, Papes did say that they have been “more than two times what we expected by now” and had the capacity “from a ‘PAC’ perspective – not just volleyball – to bring five times more customers, athletes and families into our community.”
Since the August launch, PAC’s extensive volleyball program has drawn nearly 400 participants across all levels. And as pickleball grows ever more popular, it’s no slouch on the court either, with ample opportunity for both seasoned players and newcomers to engage.
PAC also hosts special events, with activities like cornhole, badminton, futsal (a kind of indoor football) and more. The center is also available for birthday parties with sports activities and coach chaperones, as well as event rentals for gatherings of all kinds.
Clearly designed, as the founders said, to be “more than just a place to play sports,” PAC embodies a commitment to fostering character, resilience and lifelong skills in young athletes.
