If you’re not caught up on the pickleball trend yet, where have you been?
Pickleball has been around for years, but a recent surge in popularity has people of all ages picking up a racket and stepping onto the court.
What is pickleball?
Pickleball was created in 1975 by Washington State. Rep. Joel Pritchard. It is similar to tennis and requires little equipment or prior experience to begin.
An altered version of badminton, the game is fun for families to play together and can accommodate players of all ages and fitness levels.
Pickleball history, Delaware players:It’s got a funny name, but Pickleball is growing in popularity in Delaware. How to play.
Pickleball popularity
There were 36.5 million pickleball players in the U.S. last year – up from 4.8 million in 2021, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals, and participation in the sport has grown an average of 158.6% over the last three years, reports the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).
Participation in pickleball trails only that of running and cycling.
In recent years, the most prominent and fastest-growing demographics of pickleball players has been players ages 55 and up, and players under 24 years old, according to SFIA.
Where to play pickleball?
If pickleball has become the latest craze among your friends and you want to get more involved in the sport, Delaware has plenty of spots where you can set up and get a match going.
Pickleball players and clubs often use online sign-ups to reserve playing time or coordinate schedules with other groups to hold matches and tournaments.
Be sure to give any of these places a call before going out to learn about their availability, play times and fees.
New Castle County
- D-Fit, 4905 Mermaid Boulevard, Pike Creek
- Hockessin Community Recreation Center, 7259 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin
- Mid-County Senior Center, 1st Regiment Road, Milltown
- Delcastle Tennis Center, 710 McKennans Church Road, Milltown
- Local YMCA locations including the Western Family YMCA; 2600 Kirkwood Highway, Ogletown, and the Bear-Glasgow YMCA, 351 George Williams Way, Glasgow
- Bechtel Park, 1031 Naamans Road, Brandywine Hundred
- Deacons Walk Park, 45 Ware Road, Pike Creek
- Glasgow Park, 2275 Pulaski Highway, Glasgow
- Greenbank Park, 250 Greenbank Road, Prices Corner
Southern Delaware
- Rehoboth Elementary School, 500 Stockley St., Rehoboth Beach
- Courtside Pickleball & Tennis Club, 2117 Kenton Road, Dover
- Sports at the Beach, 22518 Lewes Georgetown Highway, Georgetown
- Plantations Dave Marshall Tennis and Fitness, 18464 Plantations Boulevard, Lewes
- The Factory Sports Co., 17543 Nassau Commons Boulevard, Lewes
- John M. Clayton Elementary School, 252 Clayton Ave., Frankford
- Kent County Recreation Center, 1683 New Burton Road, Dover
- Evans Park, 32517 Dukes Drive, Millville
New pickleball courts
As pickleball continues to pick up in Delaware, more and more amenities are popping up around the state to keep up with demand.
In New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget address, he announced plans for 24 new pickleball courts throughout the county with a proposed $26 million going into sports and recreation in the area.
New courts in the county will include a location at a new park off Old Paper Mill Road in Newark, which is currently in the design phase; eight courts at Southern Park in Middletown opening in late summer; four outdoor courts at Delcastle Park in Wilmington; six refurbished, pickleball-only courts with permanent nets at Deacons Walk Park in Pike Creek beginning construction this summer; and 6 refurbished, pickleball-only courts with permanent nets at Bechtel Park in Brandywine Hundred.
In southern Delaware, construction began on six new pickleball courts last month, along with a playground, at Memorial Park on Washington Street in Milford.
These will be the city’s first pickleball courts. The project, which totals around $700,000, is funded through general fund reserves and existing funding sources.
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