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It was the kind of crowd that must have made the Parks and Recreation Commission tread lightly last week — a fired-up group of about 50 seniors, many wielding paddles.
The group came out to the commission’s April 12 meeting to advocate for more pickleball courts, either by building new ones or by repurposing the tennis courts at Rengstorff Park.
It’s an issue that has been hotly debated between the two rival racquet sports. For at least two years, a growing club of pickleball fans have been using the Rengstorff Park tennis courts. But tennis players have protested the new sport taking over courts intended for a different game.
The Parks Commission recommended creating three pickleball courts at Rengstorff Park and exploring options for repurposing some tennis courts.
Then pickle ball will wane in popularity and the Frisbee golf clubs, or another “new growing sport” group will come with their demands.
Tread lightly on a building permanent infrastructure on what could very well be a temporarily popular sport. Will everyone be filling the pickle ball courts 10 years from now, or will a new game come along?
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the country, allowing four times more players than tennis to participate on the same courts. If by chance it wanes in popularity in the future, the court lines can be repainted. For now, it provides exercise and fun to many people of all ages and deserves more court space.
I’ve been playing pickleball for two years. As an older guy, less limber than I used to be, I find it to be my best competitive outlet. Regarding James T’s comment, I understand your concern that it’s a fad, but you need to know that it is being taught in PE at my daughter’s HS. This is probably a good sign that it’s here to stay. The “permanent infrastructure” that you refer to is some painted lines and a net-seriously, even if it’s a fad and will peter out in ten years, why would you deny a solid group of taxpayers the opportunity to recreate?
We started to learn pickle balls 3 yrs ago thank to Monica and MV courts. My hubby plays every week, I play every other week. I played against guys yesterday above my level, I Was Fit & I played ping pong after lunch again @ MV senior center.This is not a fad,I have taught 3 other seniors , much easier than learning tennis….Please consider 2 courts if you cannot spare 3.
I have played competitive softball, volleyball, tennis, and pickleball. Pickleball is hands down the most social of these sports. You can drop in to play for as long as you want. I love that skill level does not correlate directly to age or gender. This helps the game stay social because you can “hook up” with a different partner every game. Pickleball has been around for 50 years already and is experiencing its most rapid growth. I have no doubt that it is here to stay.
Although I also play tennis, I find pickleball to be far more fun and inclusive. It is a sport that can be enjoyed by a wider range of ages and skills. I think it is here to stay!
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America today. It is easy to learn and everyone can learn to play. Even wheelchair bound athletes can play. Not everyone can play tennis. Ive personally played with people 9 to 70 years old. This sport is here to stay. I hope the city sees the big picture there is an opportunity to grow this sport for youth and seniors. What other sport can you play with your spouse, children, grandchildren, mom, dad, have so much fun and the secret benefit a fantastic workout. I invite everyone to come out and play! BUILD IT WE WILL PLAY. simple numbers 4 tennis court 12 players. Same space 16 Pickleball courts 64 players.
I used to join different private clubs to play competitive tennis and badminton for many years! Currently, I play pickleball almost everyday as my primary workout without paying expensive membership, thanks to the wonderful local park and recreation service. Small size courts, short games so players can regroup easily. My daughter used to play pickleball at Montclair Elementary School during recess in early 2000s. All drop in games, come and go at players’ convenience. A public large size dedicated pickleball facility in the mid-peninsula would be my dream to come true!
Piclkeball rocks. Changing demographics require cities respond and allocate parks and recreational resources accordingly. Pickleballers out number tennis players during weekdays and weekends by 26:1.
The “rival” sports of tennis & pickleball need not compete but can co-exist. Seniors advocated for Pickleball at the 4/12/17 Parks & Rec meeting, but it is truly a sport for all ages (our 19 year old daughter has played with us). The equipment required is minimal making it accessible to all. And the social aspect of this drop-in game builds community. The relative low cost of re-purposing existing courts and providing dedicated courts make the cost/benefit a no brainer of meeting the needs of the growing pickleball fan base.
Pickleball players and tennis players should be able to share the courts and find a way to satisfy all.
My husband and I(75 and 80) used to be avid tennis players. Last year we started playing pickleball and now play it much more than tennis. It is fun, social, and for all ages. We are addicted!!!
I believe pickleball is here to stay. Let’s work together.
There are 1400 players in next weeks US OPEN Pickleball tournament in Florida. Pickleball was invented in 1965, calling it a fad is something that the tennis community has come up with to combat the sports popularity as it encroaches on their turf.
At Mitchell Park 3 rarely used tennis courts, this winter have accommodated on average 70 players on Saturdays and 60 Players on Sundays. There is also a Seniors only program that attracts 30 people on Wednesdays and city run classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays that attract around 25 people. The Silicon Valley Pickleball Club which was established January currently has 200 members and is growing at 10 percent a month. As Mitchell Park becomes oversubscribed, the groups demographics make Mountain View, with its great Seniors program the perfect partnership.
This is happening all over the country! Most communities start off with painting blended lines on tennis courts and then move on to dedicated courts. We understand why the tennis players find Pickleball a threat, please come by Mitchell park and talk to the tennis player there. You will find how well we co-exist
As a tennis player that has been to the Nationals as a 4.0 I find myself now playing more pickleball. Pickleball is currently experiencing the growth tennis experienced in the 80’s, but has subsequently waned. The approach should be to get a count of the town’s tennis players and pickleball players and prorate the facilities according to that ratio.
My dream would be a Pickleball complex, especially on weekends when so many players are out there. We have been to areas where this is available and it is wonderful, however, I know that will be a long time coming where we live. I have been an avid tennis player when tennis was at it’s high and of course tennis is still a sport many enjoy but, times and people do change. We can co-exist on this, simply having courts lined for Pickleball and tennis is a reasonable solution to our community. That being said, I’m trusting the city will fulfill the thought of 3 separate Pickleball courts…..
I for one believe that Pickle ball is no “fad” sport. As long as there are ex tennis players to fill the ranks as well as all other age groups the sport will thrive. I have yet to talk to one tennis player that has given pickle ball a serious try that does not like the sport.
Hi everyone, my name is John, and I am addicted to Pickleball! I am not sure I need help though. More available courts might help me.
Why is pickleball so popular? Because it’s a gathering of people who take turns challenging the winners of a game that only goes to 11 points, and can be played by most anybody. They arrive as strangers and leave as friends.
Wherever you travel you can access the website usapa.org, click on “places to play” and find a game. City Recreation Departments all over the United States are realizing the benefit of providing pickleball courts for their senior communities as it improves ones physical and social well-being. Come to Mitchell park on May 6 and 7 to watch the pickleball event in the Bay Area Senior Games. You’ll be in for a treat!
Does anyone know what’s the plan for those four tennis courts in the Rancho San Antonio Park? They have been deserted at least 20 years!! I’d enjoy playing pickleball there if they are fixed and converted to pickleball courts? It’s beautiful and close to the house.
The painting of the Pickleball lines does not need to replace or confuse the Tennis lines. Both lines can co-exist (as many communities have done) by painting the Pickleball lines just a shade or two darker than the tennis court color (not the existing tennis line color). The court play space would then not be “re-purposed” but be enhanced into “dual-purpose” space. This solution does require temporary Pickleball nets to be set up as needed, but the Tennis nets and lines remain untouched where they are currently located. The courts could then be scheduled based on the needs of the community.
A year ago, when I began working for myself, I started thinking about moving back to my native New England – but since discovering pickleball, my plans have changed. I play four or five times a week and have developed an entirely new network of friends. These new friends – and the ability to play a sport and stay active and healthy as I get older – are among the main reasons I have decided, for now, to remain in Mountain View.
Our local pickleball club has more than 200 members already, and most of us try to play every Saturday and Sunday. Many of us try to play on weekdays as well. But there are no courts we can count on to be available. As bad as the situation is, it is only getting worse, as more and more people (not only seniors) discover pickleball and join our ranks. We really need some permanent dedicated pickleball courts as well as multi-use courts with blended lines. Other communities have them, and if we do too, it will make Mountain View much more attractive for those of us with the means to move anywhere.
Pickleball and tennis can — and should — peacefully co-exist.
I am actually hurt by the animosity shown to pickleball by the tennis community. For 20 years, I captained and played on many tennis teams. I loved playing tennis but serious knee problems sidelined me from playing. It seemed my days of ever being on a tennis court were over. Along came the senior pickleball class through the Mtn. View Senior Center and I was on the courts again, not playing tennis but playing an equally terrific sport that is playable even if you have physical limitations. It was life changing!
We have limited resources and need to share them. Pickleball is not going away and it shouldn’t. Dual lines on the tennis courts are a fairly inexpensive solution. The blended lines are very subtle, much like the Junior tennis lines, and shouldn’t bother anyone. On 1 tennis court, you can fit 4 pickleball courts allowing 16 people to play at one time. That’s pretty darn good use of the space!
Here’s hoping that Mountain View embraces pickleball and we all work together!
I started playing pickle ball in Mountain View when we were allowed to play at Rengsdorf Park. This is not a fad sport. It is the sort of sport you play once, get hooked, and immediately go out and buy your own paddle. It is extremely suitable for seniors, or anyone who wants play an active sport without damaging your knees, etc. We are all hoping every community will add court or two for this amazing sport.
As a retired person I discovered pickleball by chance and add my voice to the chorus of its benefits: exercise, new learning, and social contact. And it’s just plain fun! Many players have come from active lives of tennis playing and have left those courts to take up pickleball. We can share the courts by painting the boundary lines with different paints – stop by Mitchell Park in Palo Alto and a Wednesday morning or the weekends and see how well this works. But beware…you may get handed a pickleball paddle and get hooked.
I ditto the comments above except the one that proposed the idea that pickleball is a “fad” sport that will soon disappear. Most Baby Boomers have obtained, or are approaching, an age where our physical condition does not always mirror the vision we have of ourselves as athletes.
We are a generation that largely seeks out physical exercise for the sake of fun and fitness. We still want to maintain our health with exercise as a means to that end, but for many our sports of old are not suitable for the aging or slightly damaged physique.
Pickleball is an incredibly fun sport that can be played by people like myself who might otherwise be sidelined by old injuries, muscle stiffness, or another physical disability. The social aspect of pickleball is also a real plus for those of us who might otherwise be socially isolated as we age. Body/mind and social benefits–pickleball has it all.
Pickleballers can and often do share the tennis courts with tennis players. The additional lines don’t seem to be a hinderance to either sport, and the fact that we can get four pickleball courts on one tennis court makes designating a few courts for shared use a benefit to the city and its residents that shouldn’t be denied. The 3 dedicated courts at Rengstorff Park will be wonderful (thank you), but given the popularity of this sport all over the country more courts will definitely be needed sooner rather than later. Have doubts? Come out and try it!
I’m a relative newcomer to pickleball and, as others have written before, an instant enthusiast. I don’t see a rivalry between pickleball and tennis at all, quite the opposite. Pickleball is a natural next step for tennis players. Being a senior today is different than in decades past. Being active, social and open to new experiences is part of our lives – – although our aching backs and joints often fail us. Pickleball is a wonderful avenue as it opens the door to continuing physical activity to those who would otherwise be limited. I encourage the Mt. View community to embrace the idea of providing more pickleball space. I also invite you to come out and see what all the enthusiasm is about.
Pickleball is an easily learned sport for young and old. {I’m 82!} It is the fastest growing sport in North America with over 2 1/2 million ( and growing) players. It is a great fitness enhancement which requires minimal cost of equipment. It is frequently played on shared tennis courts, gymnasium floors or similar surfaces with chalked, taped or painted lines showing various sports such as badminton, volley ball, and basketball. Pickleball can support 16 players on the space of one tennis court while tennis can support four players. In addition, a game of Pickleball generally lasts fifteen to twenty minutes while most tennis games last two or three times that long. These are some of the benefits that are being considered for including Pickleball in the next Olympic Games.
Pickleball rocks! I have played badminton, ping pong, college volleyball and tennis but this is the most fun I have ever had chasing a ball around a court. It has gotten me off the couch and onto the courts…..
I’ve been playing pickleball since I was a kid. I played with my friends for years thinking nobody else on the planet knew about this game. Things have changed and this is no fad. For whatever reason it took the bay area longer to catch up with other parts of the country. As my friend Komo used to say, “the tidal wave is coming.” Well, it’ here so get a paddle and enjoy the ride!
Pickleball is not a “fad” and is not going away. It’s very similar to when snowboarding was first introduced. Skiers hated the intrusion. They wanted to ban snowboarding from all the resorts. Did not happen. Snowboarding and skiing now coexist just fine.
Last Christmas I gave my San Diego grandkids (ages 10, 12 & 14) a pickleball net, pickleballs and paddles to use on their sport court. We played non stop and had a GREAT time! When my Texas grandson (12 years old) visited last summer, he wanted to play pickleball locally every day.
Pickleball is ageless…appealing to all ages. This is a sport that Mountain View really needs to promote and, at the very least, do blended lines on multiple tennis courts. The 3 proposed dedicated courts will be really good but they will not be enough for the large number of pickleball players in Mountain View.
Let me ditto all of the comments above with the exception of the first commentator. As a former professional in the field of aging, I highly support the game of pickleball which meets the 3 goals of physical, mental and social activities recommended by research for successful aging. Beyond that, this is the most fun I have had in ages and it’s a good addiction! My retirement life received an incredible gift with the arrival of this sport. It is healthy, fun and adds a whole new community in my life.
As a resident of Mountain View since 1969 and an ex-tennis player, I really don’t see the problem with tennis players sharing a few of their 35 courts. We get along just fine with tennis players at Mitchell Park. But,why do I have to go to Palo Alto to play pickleball?
Thanks for the planned dedicated pickleball courts!