Circling Back: Dorothy Foster, Net Game
We're checking in with this dynamic entrepreneur now that her business has been open for a little more than a year.
When Belle Curve Stories first sat down with Dorothy Foster, co-founder of Net Game, construction on the pickleball club was still underway and the dream Dorothy shared with us in her “In Her Words” profile had not quite yet become reality. Fast forward to today, 14 months after the doors first opened in April of 2024, and not only have many matches been played, but many events have been hosted, drinks have been poured, snacks have been served, and relationships have been developed. That’s because Net Game is more than a pickleball club. It has also become a popular entertainment venue.
A large part of what has made Net Game what it is today is the relationship Dorothy and co-founder Jill Livingston share. “Jill and I have been working together now for close to two and a half years and already she’s like a sister to me,” says Dorothy. “We can respectfully disagree about things, and by doing that we often get to a better place than we would’ve otherwise.”
Looking back, Dorothy is proud to say that for the most part, she and Jill have held true to their original business plan and membership structure while also staying nimble enough to be responsive to the needs of their customers. A perfect example is the Open Play Club, introduced last fall and designed to meet the needs of the Monday through Friday daytime players who want an affordable indoor option.
Over the 2024 Memorial Day weekend, Net Game hosted a tournament with very little lead time. While it was amazing to be able to do that, now that Dorothy and Jill have a little more experience behind them, Dorothy’s goals for 2025 include being more proactive, especially with programming and events. “I’m a planner. This year I’d like to be more ahead of the game,” says Dorothy.
2023 and 2024 were definitely extraordinarily busy years for the Foster and Livingston families with the opening of the club added to their already busy family lives. When Dorothy’s beloved dog Maisey was recently hospitalized after a car accident, her daughter Libby said, “Mom, maybe this is God’s way of telling us to slow down.” Dorothy is grateful to have a talented, reliable, trustworthy staff in place that allowed her to do exactly that and we are happy to report that Maisey is recovering well.
As you may expect, Dorothy and Jill hit their one-year anniversary in stride and kept on going, stopping only for a moment to enjoy a glass or two of celebratory champagne. To read the rest of the story of how Net Game came to be, we invite you to read In Her Words: Dorothy Foster, Serving Up Competition & Community. Dorothy’s profile, originally published on April 4, 2024, was one of the first published by Belle Curve Stories. We are thrilled at her success and can’t wait to see where she and Jill go from here.
Dorothy Foster, age 47, is co-founder of Net Game, Westmont, Illinois, and co-founder of Real Social, a local group of parents dedicated to delaying smartphone use for children. A former attorney and lifelong lover of racquet sports, Dorothy gives credit to her family, her partner Jill, and the Net Game staff for helping her get to where she is today.
More information about Net Game can be found at netgamepickle.com or @netgame.pickle on Instagram.