Willoughby Hills pickleball courts open for second season
Apr. 18—Willoughby Hills' pickleball courts in Campbell Park have officially reopened to the public.
Located at 35405 Chardon Road, the courts are available on a first come, first serve basis.
After picking up on the pickleball phenomenon, the city worked to convert its two tennis courts to bring the game to the community. After years of planning, the courts opened for the first time in the spring of 2022.
"I can't thank the resident pickleball players enough who have stepped forward and put in many hours of volunteer work to help make our courts as nice as they are," said City Councilman Joe Jarmuszkiewicz.
A combination of racquetball, ping-pong and tennis, the game of pickleball dates to 1965, according to the USA Pickleball Association. There are now nearly 8,500 locations on the USA Pickleball's Places2Play map. The spread of the sport is attributed to its popularity within community centers, physical education classes, YMCA facilities and retirement communities.
Last year, Willoughby Hills had a pickleball meeting to discuss usage, leagues, instruction and tournaments, as well as some ideas for raising money to help maintain the courts such as raffles, sponsorships and tournaments.
The city also implemented a group on TeamReach called Willoughby Hills Pickle Ball, which is a way for players to contact each other and set up playing times, Jarmuszkiewicz said.
TeamReach's design is intended to create a central place for all communication and to eliminate the need for phone calls, emails and handouts. Managers and coaches are able to create teams, and parents or players can join by entering a group code. The app can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play.
"We hope, as more residents learn about this game, we will be able to improve how we are able to facilitate the courts for use, lessons and leagues in the future," Jarmuszkiewicz said. "We are always welcome to any ideas or thoughts about how to improve our pickleball program."
