Pickleball players in Port Moody are getting three new outdoor courts.
But it’s still not enough to meet the needs of the sport’s growth, says the president of the POCOMO pickleball club, the largest group of organized players in the Tri-Cities.
Julie McRitchie said the construction of three new courts behind Port Moody’s recreation complex that was approved by council on Tuesday, Feb. 13, is “a really good positive sign,” but her group’s 703 members are still struggling to find court times and enduring waitlists to be able to play.
“It’s common knowledge there’s not enough courts,” she told the Tri-City News.
The new courts in Port Moody are an interim solution as the city works on a detailed feasibility study to determine its future recreation needs.
The study is expected to be completed later this year.
The courts will be Port Moody’s first outdoor facility exclusively for pickleball players, although there are three indoor courts available at the recreation complex and another six can be installed in one of the arenas after the ice is removed in the spring.
McRitchie said shared tennis courts at Art Wilkinson and Easthill parks, and even playing matches on outdoor hockey boxes, aren’t adequate and sometimes lead to conflicts with other users, as well as neighbours.
“Everyone is slowly realizing you can’t have shared courts anymore.”
Julie Pavey-Tomlinson, Port Moody’s acting general manager of community services, said the budget for the three new courts is $200,000, with construction expected to begin later this year after detailed design work is completed in June.
She said, once they’re ready, times will be set aside for user groups and city recreation programs, as well as drop-in play on a first-come, first-served basis.
McRitchie said her group continues to work with all three municipalities in the Tri-Cities to secure more courts, explaining the pressure is growing as younger people and families discover pickleball and more experienced players want to step up their game with coaching and clinics.
“It’s frustrating to think we have only so many hours to offer our members,” McRitchie said, adding she’s continually on the look out for possible locations where he club might be able to partner with a municipality or sponsor to build dedicated courts.
“Our heads are spinning, who can we approach, how can we make this work?”
