There are worse crazes for people to take up, so Mount Pearl council has no problem accommodating the growing demand for pickleball courts in the city.
On Tuesday, council approved rates and playing times for the pickleball courts at the Reid Community Centre gymnasium.
The sport is a combination of tennis, ping pong and badminton played on a badmintons-sized court with a net two inches lower than a traditional tennis net. The paddles are smaller than tennis rackets and the ball slower, making it ideal for older players.
"Everybody says, 'What is pickleball?' and I didn't know what pickleball was until I got on this committee," admitted councillor Bill Antle, who co-chairs the City's recreation committee with councillor Chelsea Lane. "From what I read, it's one of the fastest growing sports. People are right into this pickleball and we're into now."
The courts will be available on Tuesday and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to Noon. A two-person court costs $8, while a four-person court is $16.
"I look forward to seeing our residents play there," said Antle.
Councillor Jim Locke asked whether the addition of pickleball to the Reid Centre required any adjustment to the lines on the gym floor, which are already in place for the various sports played there.
Antle said as far as he knows it requires no changes.
"But there are plans for an outdoor court," he added, "and that would need some extra work."
Mayor Dave Aker said there are plans afoot, developed with the support of Mount Pearl North MHA Lucy Stoyles, who is lobbying for provincial funding, to modify part of a tennis court at Stephen Thistle Park to accommodate pickleball.
Locke said he spoke with a couple of residents this past weekend at the City's Paddy's Day event at Team Gushue Complex who were both avid pickleball players. “They gave me some background on it and it's grown over the last number of years," said Locke. "The woman I spoke with said it started out with 20 members and now there are over 400 members in their pickleball club. So, it's growing rapidly and it's a great workout. Anyone can play it. But in their circumstance, it's mainly retirees and the older demographic. They prefer to play it indoors. They mentioned they did play it up at the Gloria Pearson Centre, but they can only accommodate one game (at a time) up there. They asked about new courts, and I said, 'Is it something you can use within the existing tennis courts?' And they said, yes, that the lines align with the single courts on the tennis courts. So, thinking out loud, maybe we could paint the inner courts a different colour so we could play tennis and pickleball on the same courts, I don't know. So, its kind of neat and who knows, maybe I will challenge some of my council colleagues to a game of pickleball when the weather gets nicer."
Antle noted the plan for the Stephen Thistle Playground was delayed because of the Covid pandemic.
Aker added a court at the top of Edwards Place was modified to accommodate pickleball two years ago.
"I know pickleball has become very popular here in the city," said the mayor, “but also in Paradise and other locations within the region. It's probably the fastest growing sport that we can see, and it's probably supported by an aging demographic."
