Pickleball popularity creates demand for courts

Mar. 16—Pickleballers soon could have new places to play in Muskogee and Checotah.

Earlier this month, the Muskogee Parks and Recreation board and staff recommended converting a tennis court at Honor Heights Park and one at Spaulding Park into pickleball courts.

"We've had some players ask that we have pickleball courts," said Muskogee Parks and Recreation Director Mark Wilkerson. "They've been requesting for some years."

Wilkerson said pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. The game involves using a paddle to whack a plastic ball across a net.

"It's kind of a cross between tennis and pingpong and badminton," he said. "You can put two pickleball courts on one tennis court. The height of the nets are different in pickleball."

He said the two tennis courts could be converted by the end of this summer.

"We have to budget for it still. It will be requested in our upcoming budget," he said. "So, probably by late summer, maybe. That's our goal."

He said he has not determined how much the conversion would cost.

The city currently lets people play the game on tennis courts, which have been striped for pickleball and tennis.

He recalled driving by Spaulding Park and seeing four people playing tennis and about 10 playing pickleball.

"They were playing foursome, doubles, so there were four playing and probably six or so watching," he said.

First Baptist Church of Muskogee has opened its Family Life Center for pickleball over the past couple of years.

Karen Smith, Christian Life Center director, said many older people enjoy the sport.

"They've got people in their 80s and 90s still playing pickleball, and some of them can still smoke some of these young whippersnappers," she said earlier this year. "It involves strategy and ball placement."

Wilkerson said parks officials plan to eventually build a three-court pickleball facility, "probably at Hatbox."

"It's centrally located, and there's other sports and parking," he said. "But that's pretty expensive, so we're going to see how we can budget for it and get some grant money."

Wilkerson said participation in tennis is declining, while participation in pickleball is increasing.

"It's easier to play, and it's not as much running around," he said. "So older people and younger people, you don't have to be as talented to hit that pickleball as you do a tennis ball. Even tennis players themselves, a lot of them transition to pickleball because it's easier on your joints."

Muskogee isn't alone in catering to pickleballers.

Jim Lucas Public Library in Checotah plans to open a pickleball court this summer. Branch manager Kenneth Matthews said the court is partially funded through a health literacy grant from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

"We'll have equipment for people to check out, or if they have their own they can come," Matthews said. "They can reserve a spot and come and play. We'll have maybe some tournaments."

Matthews said the library dedicated a portion of its parking lot for the court.

"Right now, we're getting the fencing up. After that, the city is going to put down the material for the court itself," he said. "As stuff has been going up every day, we've had people come and ask what's happening."

He said it is a sport all ages can play, "from the youngest patron we have to our oldest."