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Competition for Pickleball Court Space

Reblogger Ray Henson
Real Estate Agent with Retired

Montgomery County will be discussing the how to best meet the demand for more pickleball courts.  It is a debate that many communities are having all across the country.  I have played on many courts that function as a tennis court and two pickleball courts.  It does work well when the tennis courts are not used much.  It can cause some real conflict when there is high demand by both tennis players and pickleball players.  The communities that have separate dedicated pickleball courts seem to have the most successful outcomes.  Anyway, if you are in Montgomery County, don't miss the virtual meeting, Friday, September, 8th.  Is is part of the Montgomery Parks' Virtual Meeting Series.  It looks like they will have some very experienced speakers at the event. 

By the way, the picture above is from Pickleball Nationals at Indian Wells about two or three years ago.  The tournament was so big that they converted almost all of their tennis courts to pickleball courts, just for the week.  It is amazing that there is that much demand for pickleball and the venue was beautiful!

#TennisIsAwesome

#PickleballIsLife

#NoPickleballForBrian but he knows,

#ResistanceIsFutile

Original content by Roy Kelley

Competition for Pickleball Court Space 

 

Competition for Pickleball Court Space Will Be Topic of Montgomery Parks Virtual Speaker Series Online Panel Discussion on Friday, Sept. 8

The competition for court space between tennis players and players of pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., will be the topic starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, in the next event in the Montgomery Parks’ Virtual Speaker Series. The online discussion, which is free to join and open to all, will feature a panel of experts talking about the rapidly growing demand for pickleball in local park systems, comparing the situation in Montgomery County with other areas of the country.

Registration to join the discussion is available at Register. What a pickle! Balancing pickleball and tennis in parks. A Zoom link will be sent to registrants the day before the session.

Pickleball’s popularity continues to grow rapidly in Montgomery County and across nation. The low-impact sport is played on a portion of a tennis court or on smaller dedicated courts with a tennis-like net. Players use paddles slightly larger than ping pong paddles to hit a plastic whiffle ball over the net.

The sport is easy for people of all ages to learn, but often becomes very competitive among experienced players.

In 2019, Montgomery Parks concluded a multi-year study to assess how and where the agency can meet the demand for pickleball. Many of the recommendations have been implemented since then, and Montgomery Parks now has nearly 100 pickleball courts with many more planned.

Using input from residents, pickleball players and tennis players, Montgomery Parks is looking for ways to add more opportunities for outdoor pickleball play while mitigating potential negative impacts to nearby residents.

The speakers in the Sept. 8 panel discussion will be:

  • David Robinson. He has worked in the tennis industry for 43 years. He is a certified teaching pro of tennis and pickleball and is currently the director of racquet sports for the Little Falls Swim and Racquet Club in Bethesda. He is vice president of the board of directors for the U.S. Professional Tennis Association—Mid Atlantic. He also served as the tennis and pickleball representative on the Montgomery Parks Sport Court Working group in 2018-19 that included the agency’s 2019 Pickleball Study.  
  • Carl Schmits. He is the USA Pickleball Association’s managing director of Equipment Standards & Facilities Development. In this role, he and his team are responsible for the definition, design and implementation of specifications, standards and testing protocols. Mr. Schmits is USA Pickleball’s primary liaison with the manufacturers and independent certification lab on all testing matters. He oversees and manages USA Pickleball’s equipment compliance department. 
  • Stacie West. She is a principal parks planner for Denver Parks and Recreation, where she works on citywide plans and policies to ensure the continued stewardship of the Denver parks and parkways system. Prior to moving to Denver in 2021, she worked in Washington, D.C., for a public-private partnership to plan, design and build a network of new parks and public spaces in the NoMa Business Improvement District. She was a community planner for the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. 

This is a Montgomery County, Maryland announcement.

 

Orchid, Longwood Gardens Photowalk, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania USA

IMG 4565
Canon PowerShot G11 Camera
Photograph by Roy Kelley
Roy and Dolores Kelley Photographs

Roy Kelley, Retired, Former Associate Broker, RE/MAX Realty Group

Gaithersburg, Maryland  

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             eXp Realty of California, Inc

Raymond Henson, SRES, GRI, e-Pro

Past Client Testimonials   

3412 Babson Drive

Elk Grove, CA 95758

RayRHenson@gmail.com

916-698-8415

 

 

Comments(18)

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George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Ray Henson it is amazing how quickly this sport is taking off and attracting people of all ages.

Sep 05, 2023 02:10 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Hi Ray Henson ,

So glad you re-blogged this post as I didn't see it! It is amazing that there is that much demand for pickleball and it has swept all across the country!

Sep 05, 2023 04:50 PM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Ray - I thought of you when I read Roy's post.  Actually, you came to mind this last week when our local newspaper mentioned something similar.  Ray=Pickleball Pondering.   Indeed!   

Sep 05, 2023 05:41 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Retired Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Ray- what a nice reblog of Roy Kelley's post!!!  Believe it or not, I have a friend in VT who lives in the country who built a pickleball court on it. 

Sep 05, 2023 06:07 PM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

It seems that there is plenty of money in pickleball these days with the pro tournaments, leagues, etc.  #GetYourOwnCourts

Sep 06, 2023 04:36 AM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Oswego, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Ray. Pickleball is growing in popularity. A major developer put in some courts in a remote location ahead od a larger development. We passed by on Labor Day and they were packed! Enjoy our day. 

Sep 06, 2023 05:10 AM
Ray Henson
Retired - Goodyear, AZ
Retired Real Estate Agent

I think it is amazing, too, George Souto.  I even was reluctant to start playing the game, much like, Brian England.  My dad finally made me try it and I was hooked.  What is really amazing is that I meet new pickleball players almost every day that are making the switch to pickleball.  As we all know, that is a difficult path for tennis players to follow. 😉 

Sep 06, 2023 07:30 AM
Brian England

#NoPickleballForBrian

Sep 06, 2023 08:05 AM
Ray Henson
Retired - Goodyear, AZ
Retired Real Estate Agent

I have never seen anything like it, Dorie Dillard Austin TX.  We will have 36 courts in PebbleCreek, probably by December.  It will not be enough, imho. 

Sep 06, 2023 07:31 AM
Ray Henson
Retired - Goodyear, AZ
Retired Real Estate Agent

I am reluctant to admit this, Michael Jacobs, but I quite often ponder pickleball as I drift off to sleep.  Ha!

Sep 06, 2023 07:32 AM
Ray Henson
Retired - Goodyear, AZ
Retired Real Estate Agent

I do believe you 100%, Kathy Streib.  I have several friends that have built courts in their backyard and one family member, my brother in law.  I love that guy!

Sep 06, 2023 07:33 AM
Ray Henson
Retired - Goodyear, AZ
Retired Real Estate Agent

Oh, #BrianBrianBrian, you guys don't even use most of your courts.  🤣

Actually, the last tournament that I went to recently used dedicated pickleball courts and modified tennis courts.  The pickleball players were not happy.  I think, over time, pickleball players will demand their own courts and everybody will be happy.  I am appreciating the game of tennis more, since I started playing pickleball.  I find myself watching some of the matches on tv.  They are remarkable athletes. I saw your video.  You are a remarkable athlete, too and I understand why you stick with the sport.  Keep up the good work! 

Sep 06, 2023 07:37 AM
Ray Henson
Retired - Goodyear, AZ
Retired Real Estate Agent

I think pickleball is here to stay.  At least, I hope it is, Wayne Martin!

Sep 06, 2023 07:38 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Real Estate Broker

HI Ray... I suspect it's competitive here in Charlotte area, as well. I see more and more pickleball courts springing up all over the region.

Sep 06, 2023 08:49 AM
Ray Henson
Retired - Goodyear, AZ
Retired Real Estate Agent

I wonder where it will all end, Nina Hollander, Broker.  I think it is just getting started. 

Sep 06, 2023 05:01 PM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thank you very much, Ray, for this reblog.

I hope all is going well for you this week.

Sep 08, 2023 10:18 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Ray, there are many areas high in demand for pickleball courts, but residents nearby are protesting from the noise.

Sep 09, 2023 11:58 AM
Ray Henson
Retired - Goodyear, AZ
Retired Real Estate Agent

Life is good, Roy Kelley.  We were just in Elk Grove and meet the newest member of our family, our grandson, Ryder James Henson! 

Sep 13, 2023 05:51 PM
Ray Henson
Retired - Goodyear, AZ
Retired Real Estate Agent

I imagine it could be tough to live in a pickleball neighborhood, but I really don't think it is any louder than soccer games, baseball games, or basketball games that go on at our parks (in Elk Grove).  The soccer games are noisy and their fans take up neighborhood parking for blocks.  You notice that I did not say anything about Brian England's beloved game of tennis.  They tend to be very, very quiet because no one is playing on them.  

#resistanceisfutile !

Sep 13, 2023 05:56 PM
Brian England

Pickleball is definitely louder than tennis, there is etiquette in tennis, haha. #NoPickleballForBrian

Sep 13, 2023 06:25 PM