Pickleball booms in Brooklyn!
In recent years, pickleball become America’s fastest-growing recreational sport. The Association of Pickleball Professionals estimates there are about 48.3 million pickleball players in the U.S., and according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, the number of “picklers” has grown by 223.5% in the last three years.
The combo of tennis, badminton and ping-pong was invented in 1965 but gained serious momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic because it provided ample space for social distancing. Unlike tennis, the sport is easier to learn, slower-paced and cheaper — it can be played pretty much anywhere. One only needs a 34-inch-high portable net and chalk or painter’s tape to create the 44-foot-long and 20-foot-wide court, or they can pick up a game at one of the many courts throughout Brooklyn.
Where to play
There are two courts at Hattie Carthan Playground in Bed-Stuy, four at Ericsson Playground in Williamsburg, two at Marsha P. Johnson Park in Williamsburg and a whopping 10 at McCarren Park in Williamsburg. There are also two courts at P.S. 9 in Prospect Heights. All of these have permanent court lines, but players must “BYON” (bring your own net).
“Fancier” outdoor courts boasting both lines and nets can be found at Marine Park, Kaiser Park in Coney Island, John J. Carty Park in Bay Ridge and at Leif Ericson in Sunset Park. There is an additional netted court at the recreational area at the Old Stone House in Park Slope, where there is also a BYON court.
Pier 2 Pickleball Courts in Brooklyn Heights also has four dedicated pickleball courts with nets. Besides offering fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge, the courts are also covered, protecting players from the elements. Near Pier 2 is Squibb Park, which has three lined courts but is BYON.
For year-round pickleball fun, pickleheads can head to one of Brooklyn’s indoor facilities, albeit for a fee. Major Owens Community Wellness Center in Crown Heights has four lined courts with Swiftnets and provides indoor Onix Fuse balls — 2-2.5 hours of fun costs around $25.
Parks Department rec centers like McCarren Play Center in Williamsburg, the St. Johns Recreation Center in Crown Heights and the Sunset Park Recreation Center also host indoor pickleball sessions. However, an annual membership is required. Similarly, the Park Slope Armory YMCA and Dodge YMCA on Atlantic Avenue in Cobble Hill have courts, but only for Y members.
Then there’s Court 16. The premier indoor tennis and pickeball club in Downtown Brooklyn hosts tennis programming for all ages, and pickleball clinics for all skill sets. Adult pickleball memberships are $500, and members receive discounts on pickleball court rentals and private and group lessons.
Serving up community
For some, pickleball is about more than just staying fit or having fun. Many players told Brooklyn Paper that the game builds community, and that they’ve forged friendships with fellow picklers. Brooklynite Kat Hapke Preciado even found love.
Newlywed Hapke Preciado picked up the sport when she moved from Wisconsin to Brooklyn two years ago. Not knowing anyone in her neighborhood, she said she felt lonely and was looking for a way to make friends and spend time outside. Not only did she end up meeting her wife through pickleball, but the sport inspired her to launch the Instagram page @QueerNYCPickleball. Now, she organizes queer player meet-ups every Thursday at PS 9.
“What I started realizing was that there [were] a lot of men playing pickleball, but I wanted to play with people that look like me, feel like me, are part of my community,” Hapke Preciado said. “It’s the community that you’re building. It starts with the sport. But then once you go to happy hour, you go to that picnic, you start to integrate.”
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Eric Pitagorsky has been playing pickleball at the Old Stone House since the institution built the court last year. An avid tennis player, the Park Slope resident said it’s easier to pick up a game of pickleball, and that he also appreciates the community-building aspect of the sport.
“Since I started playing here, I’ve literally become friends with like 10 people,” Pitagorsky said. “It’s all good people, a lot of neighborhood people.”
Nicole Talisse, who runs the Instagram account @nicole.pickleball, was introduced to the game after the pandemic.
“Just being able to move outside and kind of act like you’re at recess was really fun for me,” Tallise said. “And I was playing with all my best friends; there are very few sports that can do that.”
The game is also an opportunity for older Brooklynites to get back into the swing of things.
Mark Russ Federman, 79, told Brooklyn Paper that he used to play tennis and squash but had to give it up because of a bad back.
“[Pickleball] makes me think I’m not as old as I am,” Russ Federman joked. “This looked like it might be in my wheelhouse. And I can do it, not particularly well, but I can do it, and I like the fact that I can do it.”
And, of course, “there’s an app for that.”
Programs like PicklePlay, TeamReach and Pickleheads help locals find a court near them, connect with players, and join or create groups. Meanwhile, websites like Pickleheads, CityPickle and Global Pickleball Network provide searchable directories of courts and clubs across the United States and worldwide.
