[thistleclub]

Hamilton studies new facility at Confederation Park for pickleball
(Stoney Creek News, Kevin Werner, Mar 8 2016)

Hamilton staff will be considering whether to build a new facility at Confederation Park to accommodate one of the fastest growing sports in the city and across the country.

Jeff Morgan, president of Pickleball Hamilton, said he contacted Ward 5 councillor Chad Collins about building a new outdoor facility for pickleball at Confederation Park, which is undergoing an $80-million, multi-year renovation.

Confederation Park would be the ideal location for what could be 12 courts to attract people not only from Hamilton, but across southern Ontario, said Morgan.

“The sport is a great fit for everybody,” said Morgan. “It crosses all cultures and demographics barriers. There are no boundaries to people who want to play it.”

He said pickleball, which was created in the 1960s, but has been the past 15 years that the sport has exploded in popularity, is played by people from age 11 to 81.

Pickleball Hamilton has about 120 members, said Morgan, and there are up to another 250 people, not affiliated with any organization that play the game at various facilities across the city, such as Glendale High School, Delta High School, Ancaster’s Rotary Centre, Dundas Lions Memorial Community Centre, Huntington Park Recreation Centre, Valley Park Recreation Centre, Sackville Hill Seniors Centre and Winona Recreation Centre.

“It’s growing by leaps and bounds,” said Morgan.

He said recently St. Thomas, Ontario approved spending about $850,000 for a combined tennis and pickleball facility.

City recreation staff said the cost to build up to eight pickleball courts would be about $200,000.

The dimensions for a court are 20-feet wide by 40’ in length, said staff. They stated a standard tennis court can be converted into four pickleball courts.

Hamilton recreation staff open in July 2015 the first outdoor pickleball courts on what was formerly tennis courts at Hill Park Recreation Centre.

“We have a lot of indoor facilities, but not too many outdoor courts for pickleball,” said Collins, acknowledging the sport’s popularity in Hamilton.

Collins and Morgan said the idea would be to construct the courts as part of the Confederation Park, renovation, including the creation of a sports complex where plans are already being design to build a senior cricket pitch and soccer field. Two proposed multi-use courts and an intermediate soccer and junior critical facilities have also been considered north of the senior cricket pitch. The pickleball courts would be located where the multi-use courts are planned to be located, said Collins.

Morgan said the idea would be to eventually cover the outdoor pickleball courts to allow people to use the facility year-round. He suggested the facility should be fenced, with a wind screen and have an attached clubhouse.

“This would be new and exciting for pickleball players and Hamilton,” said Morgan.

Hamilton recreation staff will be reviewing the idea of a pickleball facility at Confederation Park, including potential cost implications.