For close to 30 years, when an area athlete has needed footwear and apparel, they’ve headed to Sportech in the Rye Ridge Shopping Center. Recognizing that more and more tennis players have added a fitness focus to their sports schedule, Mel Siegel and his co-owners, without a lot of fanfare, set up a satellite shop at Rye Racquet Club this fall.

Taking over what was an underutilized pro lounge, they’ve created a brightly lit and power-packed small pro shop. They stock a range of racquets, from Yonex to Volkl (a German-engineered product that offers power with a lot of control and has a vibration dampener built in), and head racquet technician Marc Kessler strings with the best of them. They also carry a large selection of footwear, and judging from the number of players on Rye Racquet’s successful USTA women’s teams and the growing number of kids in their afterschool programs, Sportech is filling an important need.

With warm-up suits and tennis whites going the way of the Nehru jacket and more racquets players wearing workout tights, you’ll find lots of colorful clothing at the shop.

You’ll also find rollers to massage aching muscles, paddle tennis basics, socks galore, and fun accessories.

Looking around the shop, Siegel beamed when he said, “We hadn’t done a shop like this in 30 years and it’s pretty exciting.” He added, “It’s worth noting that this is not the first time we’ve worked with Kit Byron (Rye Racquet owner). When he was the head pro at Coveleigh Club, we ran the pro shop.”

— Robin Jovanovich

Mel Siegel and Marc Kessler in Sportech’s new shop at Rye Racquet