The Arena Club

Health, Fitness, and Swim Club

Arena Club owners Keith and Kathy Rawlings never intended to become entrepreneurs, yet today they embody the American spirit of free enterprise. Mr. Rawlings was working in real estate in 1995 and his wife in surgical instrument sales, when a unique opportunity became available. Mr. Rawlings’ company had brokered the sale of an 18,000-squarefoot racquetball club and the buyer withdrew his offer at the last minute.

“Keith had a vision of turning this facility into a family health and fitness club,” Mrs. Rawlings recalls. “I remember thinking we could never afford to do something like that... and the next thing I knew, we owned it!”

The Rawlingses opened Harford Health and Fitness in Aberdeen in 1996 with just 300 members and less than 15 employees. From the beginning, the Rawlingses committed all of their time, energy and financial resources to improving and expanding their dream for the benefit of the community. In 2003, they opened the Arena Club, a full-service health and wellness facility in Bel Air, which included an indoor arena and the largest aquatic complex in Harford County.

“Our purpose is to serve people...we will do everything we can to help them achieve their goals.”

“Everybody has a basketball court,” Mrs. Rawlings says. “We knew that in order to be successful, we had to offer something different.”

Today, the Arena Club’s 80,000-square-foot facility features state-of-the-art fitness equipment with personal TV monitors, three different training circuits, a fully equipped strength training area, group fitness studios and an indoor turf field. The Club’s aquatic center includes a 25-meter lap/recreational pool, 12-person whirlpool with waterfall, wading pool with beach entry and waterfall, and a heated therapy pool. Two water-park-sized waterslides, a water basketball court and a 9-foot-deep diving well round out the aquatic recreational features. The pools are domed for cool weather use. Outdoor components include playing fields, sand volleyball facilities and a picnic area.

Pre-school programs and before- and after-school programs are available at the Club. Family memberships include two free hours of child care per day. The staff increases from 200 to about 250 in the summer, in order to staff a variety of summer camps and the aquatics complex. The Club’s 24 certified personal training staff help with individualized fitness programs, as well as physician-ordered physical therapy and rehabilitation for adults, children and athletes of all sports. A nutritionist is on staff to round out the program.

“All of our staff are highly qualified,” Mrs. Rawlings says. “Our personal trainers are degreed or certified and we require that they take advantage of regular continuing education opportunities.”

Staff members realize that the first six weeks of any fitness program are crucial, so they take special care to make the environment as user-friendly and non-intimidating as possible. They meet with newcomers, suggest classes they may find helpful, and encourage them to work with a personal trainer as necessary.

“Our purpose is to serve people,” Mrs. Rawlings says. “We want everyone in the family to feel welcome—from Grandma to the infant. We want them to succeed and we will do everything we can to help them achieve their goals.”

The Arena Club
2304 Churchville Road
Bel Air, MD 21015
443-528-6178

www.thearenaclub.com

Pictured left to right: Kurt Rawlings, Keith Rawlings, Kathy Rawlings and Keifer Rawlings
Photography: Coyle Studios