Court Sports For Life, the nonprofit organization that runs the Steamboat Tennis and Pickleball Center, announced Monday it has moved on from Executive Director Loretta Conway and Director of Operations Bill Conway. 

Stephen Modzelewski, board chair for Court Sports For Life, said the organization is grateful for what Loretta and Bill have done for the center and the community, and the board made the decision due to disagreements as the center grows at a rapid rate.

“There is no question that their passion and dedication have been critical to getting us to where we are today, a local treasure with a national reputation,” Modzelewski said. “There were disagreements as to the allocation of roles between the executive director and the board and concerns about their handling the vastly increased scope of the challenges the organization now faces given its recent growth. Although there were these issues and disagreements that led the board to take this action, we are confident that everything the Conways did was what they felt was in the best interest of our organization and our community.”

According to Modzelewski, the vote to make this change was unanimous by the seven Court Sports For Life board members who were able to attend Monday’s meeting. The Conways were informed of the decision shortly after.

“We were told (on Monday) they wanted to take it to a new level and they didn’t think Bill and I were the leaders they needed to do that,” Loretta Conway said. “That is how we found out. They are taking care of us and we are going to be fine.”

Modzelewski said the board is in the process of assembling a search committee to find the next executive director. In the meantime, Court Sports For Life board member Ricky Jenkins will serve as interim executive director. 

“During this interim period, my goal is to keep the business running as seamlessly as possible for employees, players and the public in general,” Jenkins said. “I’d also like to initiate business procedures and systems to take us to the next level professionally, setting the stage for a new executive director to be successful quickly.”

Loretta Conway said she will help consult during the transition period through the end of March. The center intends to put special emphasis on its tennis offerings while it faces challenges that are both typical and unconventional to an organization’s leadership change.

“We need to make sure that we continue to service our youth programs — the high school girls tennis program starts next week,” Modzelewski said. “Bill Conway was a valued coach, and with his departure, we may have to ask our private tennis lesson patrons to bear with us while we devote our teaching resources to our community commitments.”

Taking over Bill’s position as both the high school girls tennis coach and director of tennis will be Jason Scicchitano, who has served as the center’s head tennis pro for the past two years. 

Head Pickleball Pro Jayson Harris will remain in his position while the nonprofit searches for a director of pickleball. 

The Conways came to Steamboat Springs and joined its tennis center 13 years ago. The pair worked under former owner Jim Swiggart for a few years before purchasing the business from him.

Loretta Conway said they ran the center as a for-profit for three years but when the community showed extensive interest in a pickleball building, there was an idea to form a nonprofit to help assist in the growth of these racket sports.

Court Sports For Life officially took over operations of the center in 2021. Since then, the organization has raised $7.2 million in donations, grants and sponsorships for the new pickleball facility, which is slated to open this spring.

“We feel like we are going out on a real positive note,” Loretta Conway said. “We’ll be fine and we think the center will be fine. It is a pretty awesome success story. That building is going to be $12 million when it is all said and done.”

“There is no ill will from me on it,” Bill Conway said. “I hope the people that come in and the people they choose, Jason Scicchitano and the whole pickleball community with Jayson Harris, all strive and do great.”