Pickleball enthusiasts want courts inside SLT recreation center

The tools are simple: A racket, a ball and a small net.
The rules are simple: Play singles or doubles on a 20 by 44 ft court. You use an underhand serve. Only serving team gets the points and the first team to 11 wins.
Who can play is simple: Everyone

According to USA Pickleball Association (USAPA), Pickleball is a highly contagious, progressive and incurable disease. USAPA estimates there are approximately 200,000 infected people worldwide. Unlike other epidemics of this scale, pickleball occurs primarily in developed countries. While rarely fatal, the disease has enormous impact on the lives of infected individuals and on society as a whole.

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing spots in the world, mainly because everyone can play both young and old, men and women play equally, and it is a year round sport with very little financial burden.

South Lake Tahoe area pickleball players gave a proposal to the Parks & Recreation Commission on Thursday, asking for indoor space at the Rec Center for indoor courts this winter.

Students at South Tahoe Middle School have been playing the game for years during physical education classes, but there has been little opportunity to play outside of the classroom.

If you've been by the tennis courts at Tahoe Paradise Park lately you've most likely seen people playing pickleball.

"We've been hiding in plain sight," local play Jim Barr told the commissioners. He explained that this sport is the fastest growing one and likened it to a "silver tsunami."

Barr and his group asked for the commissioners to consider adding two courts inside the gym. The courts would come with portable nets so they could be easily taken down for the basketball and soccer players that also use the gym.

Laren Thomaselli, SLT Recreation Manager, suggested the players could use the courts on a punch card system, just as other users of the facility do.

The pickle ball courts would be one more asset to America's Year 'Round Playground, South Lake Tahoe. Due to the popular nature of the store with vacationers, the local pickle ball advocates feel the Rec Center courts would attract tourists as well as locals.

While playing this sport takes some movement, many of the current players at Tahoe Paradise Park have had knee, hip and ankle replacements and they can't cover the whole tennis court they once were able to. An 89-year-old WWII veteran and an 86-year-old woman can be found on the courts almost daily.

But it isn't just a "silver" group...it is gaining it popularity among the younger generation as well.

The Tennis Channel's 20 million viewers will be able to tune into the 2016 US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Fl in April of next year. Proponents of the sport say this should get a whole other group of participants once they tune in and see the fun.

A group of five pickleball players were at the commission meeting to gain support for the proposition. Along with Barr were Lane and Carole Sykes and Marianne Poohachoff.

The SLT Parks and Recreation Commissioners agreed with the players and said this is a great time to start plans for adding indoor courts, especially since the Rec Center is on the list for possible renovation or remodeling. They directed Tomaselli to develop criteria for use of the courts, and to look into spending $500 for nets, paddles and balls to rent out. Commissioner Pete Fink expects the process to be a quick one so use could start before rain and snow begins. They will see how pickleball is received by users and then work towards a more permanent plan in the future.

The players at Tahoe Paradise Park on Thursday gave a warning to potential pickleball players: "You will get into it and won't want to go home."