Life Time — Local services in Fort Worth

Title: Longtime Member With Mixed Feelings – Outstanding Facilities, Disheartening Pickleball Decline

As a proud “founding member “of LifeTime Alliance, I’ve been with this location since the early trailer days. I’ve seen it grow, evolve, and flourish, especially under our current general manager, Ivette. She’s done a phenomenal job maintaining the standard of excellence we pay a premium for: spotless facilities, consistently working machines, fresh towels always available, and even that pleasant aroma that greets you when you walk in. Upstairs, it’s clear where our membership dollars go, and it shows. However, the reason for my lower star rating lies in the sharp and ongoing decline of the pickleball program, which was once a thriving and vibrant community and is now, sadly, a shadow of what it was. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the world. Previous management understood its potential, leading to the exciting conversion of all 16 tennis courts into pickleball courts. This was part of a larger vision, as once stated in a public post, “Alliance will be the HUB for pickleball in DFW.” That vision felt alive under the leadership of Shawn, our former pickleball manager. He helped build the community nearly from scratch, capturing interest, hosting events, and maintaining strong member engagement, often with very little support. Was he perfect? No. But the energy, communication, and sense of growth were undeniably there. Enter Angie, the new pickleball manager, and a complete departure from what we had come to expect at LifeTime. Unlike Shawn, who was present, engaged, and genuinely cared, Angie has taken a closed door approach. No greetings. No visibility. No interaction. Several members, myself included, have attempted to voice concerns and offer constructive feedback, only to feel ignored. I speak specifically from my regular experience in the mornings, and I have found the atmosphere to be very similar during my afternoon visits as well.

Operationally, the program has suffered: Once consistent Open Play schedules are now replaced with clinics that rarely fill up Open Play during prime hours has disappeared LifeTime Alliance is NOT represented in the official LifeTime pickleball league, a major missed opportunity The once busy outdoor courts are now often empty and poorly maintained Courts are dirty, with limited usable pickleballs (many of which are old and damaged). We have 16 courts and 5 good balls. This is unacceptable, especially when pickleballs are supposed to be included in our membership

The indoor pickleball courts are in poor condition and almost unplayable. They have little to no bounce, several dead spots, and are generally unpleasant to play on. Recently, the courts were closed for maintenance, and many of us hoped this meant the issues would finally be addressed. Unfortunately, all that was done was a coat of paint. Not only did it fail to solve the problems, but the paint actually made the courts worse

The result? A noticeable drop in pickleball participation and, sadly, membership cancellations. With nearby alternatives popping up, the lack of leadership and vision here is costing us our community.

What’s most disappointing is not just the operational issues, but the lack of communication. Leadership in a member driven environment starts with being present, approachable, and willing to listen. That’s what we had. That’s what we lost.

But I still believe a turnaround is possible. LifeTime has already proven its commitment to excellence in other areas of the club, and the investment in pickleball was bold and forward thinking. With the right leadership, communication, and willingness to listen to longtime members, Alliance can reclaim its place as the premier pickleball hub in the area. The courts, the members, and the energy are still here. We just need a renewed focus and the right support to bring it all back together.

I share this with the hope that LifeTime leadership will listen, respond, and act for the good of the community we have all...

The worst 345.32 I have ever spent Lifetime Fitness Alliance is a complete disgrace

I don’t normally write reviews but my experience with Lifetime Fitness in Alliance Texas was so bad it needs to be told. I was paying 345.32 every month for a family membership myself my wife and my son and what I got in return was disrespect humiliation and terrible service.

On September 1st I called to cancel my membership effective immediately. On September 2nd I went in person and spoke with Sarah the concierge manager. I explained that my wife no longer felt comfortable at this gym my son did not enjoy Kids Academy and the only reason I stayed was pickleball. The schedule changes made it impossible for me to attend with my work and family. Sarah insisted the 30 day cancellation policy was non negotiable. She said I could use the club through the end of September but that did not help me. She showed no flexibility.

Then on September 2nd Angelina Santopoalo the Pickleball Lead reached out and offered to build me a schedule. What I received looked like it was thrown together with no thought. No travel time no real detail just something generic that could have been copied from ChatGPT. I told her it did not work for me and that I would not continue my membership.

On September 3rd I had signed up for open play on courts 3 through 8 from 6 to 8 PM. I was moved from the waitlist just minutes before the two hour cancellation cutoff. Because of my unpredictable work I called around 415 to 430 PM to ask if I could give my spot to someone else. I was told no. I asked if I could still play if I arrived late. The staff member said yes and I told him I would be there before 7 PM.

I arrived at 633 PM rushed to the locker room and went to the outdoor courts. Only three people were there one practicing serves and two people playing singles. No check in no open play no structure. I went upstairs and saw advanced pickleball play.

Angie appeared to be putting up barriers so I waited. When she came out I asked what was going on. She cut me off and said I got your email. I explained I was asking about open play not the email. She said I am running intermediate leagues. I told her there was no one outside no check in and only three people. She shrugged and said sometimes people do not show up.

I then went to Sarah’s office. I told her this was exactly why I wanted to cancel immediately. I told her I had never felt more embarrassed or disrespected. She simply said OK. Nothing was done.

Lifetime Fitness Alliance is not about health community or service. It is about locking people into expensive memberships shrugging off complaints and delivering far less than the luxury they promise. Save yourself the headache and wasted money. I will never step foot in another Lifetime...

The facility is top notch, but I am writing this review based on my personal experience. I compete in shooting sports. There are many shooting sports in Olympics. As a matter of fact, Winter Olympics Biathlon event was called Ski Patrol and Shooting. There are many competitive shooters who train in public gyms besides me. I do not train with any fire arms, or even models of fire arms. I just hold my hands in front of me, as if gripping a pistol, and practice target transition, reload, and drawing. I never point at any person. Part of the shooting sports require fast and accurate shooting while heart rate is elevated. So the only way for me to train for that is to practice the shooting movements after an intense session of cardio workout or METCON. After a few weeks of classes, a manager came and talk to me. She said that my shooting practice was making some members uncomfortable, even though I was did not point my fingers to simulate a gun, and did not point at anyone. I told her that I did not break any rules based on the policies, and I was not pointing at any people. She asked me to step to the side if I must practice, and not do it in a group. For the next several weeks, I did just that. When I need to practice shooting movements while heart rate was high, I would step to the side and point my hands at a wall, and practice side shuffles and transition. Then today while I was working out, I was approached by the general manager of the facility. He said that even my action of holding hands together in front of me made some members felt intimated. He asked me to stop making any type of shooting sport gestures all together. Politics aside, shooting is still a very broad Olympic sport that can be participated by all age groups. The club should not be in a position to police which sport can be practiced in the facility. What if I find pickle ball offensive and can not bare the site of people hitting the poor plastic balls? Are they going to ban that sport and movements? This issue only happens at this specific Life Time location. I also go to the other locations, and they have never given me any issues. Until this issue is resolved, I would not recommend this Life Time...