Dozens and dozens of participants broke in Bartlett’s new outdoor pickleball courts Thursday, June 24 – a moment the city’s most enthused players anticipated for nearly a decade.

Pickleball gaining players and venues across the Mid-South

Retiree Rick Darling was one of those players soaking in the moment Thursday. Since 2013, Darling and others have consistently reached out to Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald and the city’s aldermen to fund (and find) a location for outdoor pickleball.

“In 2013, it was a good sport, but it wasn’t growing as fast,” Darling said. “It just mushroomed. Just convincing (them) that we needed this. They were trying to find the right place for us. The end result is even better than what I imagined.”

Eight years later, Bartlett officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning for the six pickleball courts at Shadowlawn Park, 4734 Shadowlawn Road.

Pickleball, invented in 1965, is a paddle sport that combines aspects of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. A pickleball court is 20-by-44 feet, similar to a badminton court, and often played in either singles or doubles matches.

It’s one of the U.S.’s fastest-growing sports with an estimated 4.2 million players, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) 2021 Topline Participation Report, released in Feb. 2021. While seniors traditionally play the sport most frequently, younger people are participating at higher levels nationwide and in Bartlett.

Darling and Frank Bradley brought the sport to Bartlett through the Bartlett Recreation Center in 2011. While players could play at the center or at Singleton Community Center, which both included installed permanent pickleball lines, the push for an outdoor court only grew in recent years.

McDonald said the city wanted to open the pickleball courts but could not initially find the requisite money due to the challenging financial times the past two to three years. The city eventually allocated about $400,000 for the project.

“Anytime the weather permits, I hope to see some people playing,” McDonald said. “I believe it’s a great investment for the city and our citizens. I believe in lifelong learning. For those of us that are elderly now, to learn a new sport that we can play.”

While estimates on how many pickleball players in Bartlett are unknown, a charity tournament gives some insight on how the game’s grown within the city.

Several years ago, the Bartlett Rec Center and Singleton began hosting the Spring Fling Round Robin Charity Tournament, with proceeds going to Youth Villages. The first year, there were about 40 pickleball players. In the most recent edition, that number rose to more than 150 participants.

Paul Wright, city of Bartlett Parks and Recreation assistant director, said the new courts could not only host the charity tournament, but also future USA Pickleball-sanctioned tournaments.

“You’re gonna see people get that viral effect where they’ll see other people out here and get curious and want to know more about the sport.”

Paul Wright,
Bartlett Parks and Recreation assistant director

“You’re gonna see people get that viral effect where they’ll see other people out here and get curious and want to know more about the sport,” Wright said on the impact of the new pickleball courts. “The beautiful thing is that so many players, their passion and enthusiasm, is not just for their competition, but to spread it to others and share it with them. They want to spend time and teach them.”

The city’s courts are open from sunrise until 10 p.m. seven days a week. City officials plan to host a free clinic at the pickleball courts Sunday, June 27, for new pickleball players.

One of those competitors players could see on a pickleball court in the near future, the city’s mayor.

“I think some of you could be able to teach me, so I can at least participate,” McDonald said. “That’s what it’s about. Friendship, fellowship and physical fitness.”