Their love of pickleball led them to open an indoor facility just for the game

Bad weather is good business for indoor pickleball facilities — just ask Isabel Alonso.

She’s the co-owner of Miami’s Dinko Pickleball Complex, which is normally open every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

But exceptions have been made.

“The week we had a hurricane threat, we stayed open until midnight, and we were booked solid,” Alonso said. “Anytime there’s a hurricane, you can expect us to be open until midnight.”

One of two indoor pickleball-only facilities

Dinko, a four-court, 11,000-square-foot facility at 6301 NE Fourth Ave., is one of just two indoor pickleball-only facilities in Miami-Dade County.

The other is The Yards, which has eight courts and is at 7551 W. Fourth Ave. in Hialeah.

As for Dinko — which was named after one of the most important shots in pickleball, the dink — the idea for the complex was the brainchild of Maria Sarmiento, 55, and Alonso, 48.

They met nearly two years ago while playing pickleball at Miami Shores Country Club.

A connection was quickly formed between Alonso, Sarmiento and other players.

Alonso, a Cuban-American from Miami, has a sports background — she’s the former Champagnat Catholic School athletics director.

Sarmiento, a native of Bogota, Colombia, has a bachelor’s degree in Toy Design from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology.

Besides having more than two decades of experience coming up with toy concepts and selling them to major companies, Sarmiento is an accomplished athlete as a soccer player, swimmer and equestrian.

Soon after meeting, they and four other friends starting playing together regularly. Shortly thereafter, a Dinko logo was created; T-shirts were made; fun was had; and a team was built.

“I decided to host a tournament (at Miami Shores Country Club),” Alonso said. “I don’t even remember who won. But I know that at the end of the tournament, we all sprayed champagne. We just had a blast.”

Added Sarmiento: “Isa brought the champagne. She loves to celebrate.”

The next big event was a trip to Puerto Rico, where more pickleball was played.

“Who doesn’t have a good time in Puerto Rico?” Alonso joked.

From there, Alonso, Sarmiento and a group of about 30 friends – including former NBA standout Jose Juan Barea – traveled to a tournament in Daytona Beach.

“By the time we went to Daytona, people were recognizing our brand,” Sarmiento said. “People wanted to have a Dinko T-shirt. They wanted to be part of our team.

“People gravitate toward us because they see how we root for each other. Everybody in Florida knows about Dinko. When they see us, they say: ‘Here comes Dinko. Here comes trouble!’”

Daytona was a turning point.

“It was amazing — the energy, the vibe and the passion for the game,” Alonso said. “We now had a team of players, but we didn’t have a set place to practice.”

That’s where the lightbulb — in Dinko’s neon pink, of course – lit up for Alonso and Sarmiento, who decided to find a warehouse where they could build a pickleball palace.

They found one on Miami’s Upper East Side, but only after rejecting about 60 other locations.

“For many places, the ceiling wasn’t tall enough,” Sarmiento said.

“This is our pilot concept that we hope to replicate in different places.”

Sarmiento and Alonso signed their lease in May and opened Dinko on July 20.

But before they opened their doors, they had to worry about attracting customers.

So, naturally, they contacted Lily Azel, who knows everybody in the sport. They also reached out to Matt Endara and his wife, Cantillon.

Then, something amazing happened.

Alonso and Sarmiento asked Azel if she would be their first member. Azel said yes, and she started spreading the Dinko word.

“Before we opened our doors, we already had 50 members,” Alonso said. “It was insane. We hadn’t even sent out pictures of the place.”

Big turnout at opening

Later, at the Dinko grand opening, Alonso said she expected a nice gathering of about 20 pickleball players.

Instead, 300 people attended.

“It was a party,” Alonso said. “We had the ribbon cutting. We had pro players mingling.

“At one point, I looked at Maria and said: ‘Take it all in because this is mind-blowing.’”

Since then, Dinko has continued to grow.

Well-known sports figures have dropped by, including the Houston Rockets coaching staff and former University of Miami basketball standout Tonye Jekiri, a 7-foot center who is now playing pro ball in Moscow.

Dinko is now hosting corporate events, birthday parties, tournaments and clinics where pro players come in to give tips to amateur players.

“We’re blessed with the support we have received from the community in Miami and Miami Beach and Miami Shores,” Alonso said.

“They all said yes to us, and they continue to say yes.”

Especially when it rains.

Here’s where else to play indoor pickleball in Miami-Dade

▪ Alper JCC (6 courts)

▪ Aventura Community Center (4 courts)

▪ Life Time in Pinecrest (3 courts)

▪ Scott Rakow Youth Center in Miami Beach (3 courts)

▪ North Shore in Miami Beach (3 courts)

▪ Jose Martí Park (2 courts)

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