Racquets Biz Podcast

From Navy Officer to Racket Club Founder: The Story of Vamos Racquets

Dominique

Dominique sits down with Katherine Lynch — a former U.S. Navy officer, Harvard squash champion, and now founder of Vamos Racquets, a new kind of wellness and racket club in New Jersey. Katherine shares how her years in the military shaped her leadership style, why she believes community is the heartbeat of every great club, and how she’s redefining what “whimsy” means in the world of racket sports.

You’ll hear stories from her time navigating destroyers in Southeast Asia, lessons from serving as the right hand to a three-star admiral, and how those same principles — discipline, ownership, and empathy — now guide her entrepreneurial journey.

Key Topics:

  • Leadership lessons from the Navy that translate to business


  • The power of community in sustaining new racket clubs


  • Why “whimsy” matters in building inclusive spaces


  • How to balance work, family, and personal purpose


  • The growing intersection of pickleball, paddle, and wellness


Memorable Quotes:

“If you expect your team to show up at 5:30 a.m., you better be there too.”
 “It’s not about how fancy your club is — it’s how you make people feel when they walk in.”

Connect with Katherine: