After more than three decades with global engineering firm Bechtel, Lanette Rosales was known as a dedicated Procurement Manager with a steady career and a strong work ethic. But in December 2022, life threw her a curveball. 
A difficult divorce left her emotionally and mentally exhausted, searching for healing and a renewed sense of direction.
“I turned to my faith and prayed for clarity,” she recalls. “I didn’t know what was next, but I knew I couldn’t stay where I was—mentally or spiritually.”
In May 2023, her prayers led her to Houston, Texas, for a new assignment with Bechtel. It was there, amid an unfamiliar city and new surroundings, that she discovered something entirely unexpected: pickleball. What started as a casual introduction quickly turned into something much more.
“Pickleball became my therapy,” she says. “It wasn’t just the sport—it was the community. I found myself laughing again, making friends, feeling connected. It brought me back to life.”
That connection sparked a deeper calling. She felt compelled to help others find healing and belonging through the game that had transformed her own life. In April 2024, a new assignment brought her to Brevard County, Florida—and with it, a realization. 
Despite the area’s large senior population, there were few indoor pickleball facilities. Sensing both a need and an opportunity, she made a bold move.
“I decided to leave the company I had been with for 35 years,” she shares. “It was scary, but I knew it was time to follow this new purpose.”
After extensive research, she partnered with Dill Dinkers, a growing franchise specializing in indoor pickleball, and began laying the groundwork for her own facility, set to open in the summer of 2025.
But this isn’t just about building courts. Her vision includes providing transportation for seniors—who make up 22% of Florida’s population—so they can access physical activity and social connection. She also plans to partner with local vendors, organizations and non-profits to deliver fun-filled programming that individuals of all ages can enjoy.
“Pickleball gave me a second chance,” she says. “Now I want to give that back—to create a place of hope, healing, and community.”
OPENING EARLY JULY 2025
