Rochester Eagles Club opens new pickleball courts
Dec. 31—ROCHESTER — The bingo calls supported more than just a winning prize as Saturday's bingo folded into a pickleball court fundraiser at the Eagles Club. People visited the fundraiser between rounds of bingo, and added to the growth of pickleball in Rochester.
While the courts are now snow-covered, community members look forward to having another option for pickleball. The five courts opened in fall 2022, though more paint work is planned for the spring, Eagles Club general manager Kevin Hanson said. The courts are in the southwest corner near the parking lot and volleyball courts.
"For a community our size, we really have very few options for pickleball courts and so collaborating with the Eagles Club to build new courts has really been essential to increase opportunities for pickleball play in the city," said Denise Dupras,
Rochester Area Pickleball Association
member. "Communities all around us have built beautiful courts and we've not been able to get new courts built, which is very unfortunate."
The Eagles Club spent about $170,000 on the courts. Hanson said the fundraiser will help with maintenance items, cleaning supplies, paddles and more picnic tables by the courts.
"It's more places for the people to play ... and it gets more traffic through here. We offer it to anybody who wants to play but we also have food and beverage available for when they're done. It's easy access for everybody," Hanson said.
With more places to play, RAPA hopes to increase knowledge, opportunities and enjoyment of the sport. RAPA has over 500 members.
While playing in a winter league at Chip Shots' indoor courts, fundraiser coordinator and Eagles Club member Erin Henderson hopes to keep learning new skills. She joined pickleball with her friends this summer.
"You hear a lot about it (pickleball) and then it's sometimes looked at as more of an older generation sport but it's really fun," Henderson said. "At Chip Shots, we're seeing a lot of younger people play it too. It's great to be able to be something that you can play long into your life."
The Eagles Club courts will be open to the public for free, and it's "another bonus" for Eagles Club and RAPA members, Henderson said. The club plans to offer leagues in 2023.
Dupras said
pickleball
also offers opportunities for people of all ages, from children to grandparents, and only requires a pair of tennis shoes, paddles and pickleballs.
"People were using (the courts) all the way up until when we started getting snow," Hanson said. "People start playing on it at six o'clock in the morning. It's just amazing to me. But ... in the summer time they'll have to be off by 10:30 at night."
"We can't wait for the pickleball courts to be ready in the summer and happy to support that because these courts have lights, which none of the other courts in town do, so they'll be able to be used all day long and all evening too," Henderson said.
RAPA is hosting introductory pickleball lessons at the Rochester Recreation Center from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 14 and Jan. 21. The $20 lessons will cover pickleball rules, scoring, dinking, serving and return of serve and playing a doubles game. Registration is required on
; equipment will be provided. A
waitlist
is also available for Rochester Community Education's "Introduction to Pickleball" classes.
"Pickleball is a great sport. It's a great way to meet friends, to socialize, it's excellent exercise," Dupras said. "It's opened up a whole new world of new friends for me, of all ages."
What: "Get Pickled at the Eagles" fundraiser.
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1.
Where: Eagles Club, 917 15th Ave. SE, Rochester.
Cost: $15 t-shirts, $6 meal and bucket raffle.
