New Pickleball Courts Return Positive Reaction

Durango’s outdoor pickleball courts are serving up a new outdoor recreation option. You’re watching the Local News Network, brought to you by Kroegers Ace Hardware and Dunkin’ Donuts. I’m Connor Shrieve. The new pickleball courts at Schneider Park are now open and are returning some praise from locals and visitors alike. Max Paustian has been enjoying the courts since they opened in June.

Love them. They’re beautiful courts, great to have ’em. I’m a big believer they’re a good thing, not only for the pickleball community, but for this town. We’ve already recognized a lot of people from out of town are stopping by here. We’re seeing lots of young people, college kids, high school kids. Once in a while, you see a little kid with a grandma or grandpa, so it just generates a lot of positive interest in an outdoor activity for the whole town.

The courts are part of a handful of improvements at Schneider Park, including new bike racks, better trail lighting and new swing sets. Durango Parks and Recreation director Kelly Schmidt says pickleball courts were an obvious choice.

Around the country, for the last decade, pickleball has been sweeping in popularity. First, it became one of the more advanced senior aged folks sport because it meant less injury, less area of mobility needed, but very quickly, not only did it increase health and wellness in an older demographic, but it became infectious, not only with teens and college A students, but now it’s rolling out in elementary schools as well.

One of the goals was to make the courts an attraction for both locals and tourists. And Stephen Crandall, who’s the president of the Southwest Pickleball Association, says that’s happening.

Almost every time I’ve been out here playing, there’s been somebody who is passing through on a trip. The day the courts opened for the soft opening, there was a family of three from Atlanta, and they were here on vacation. The mother and the father and the daughter, and they were here for three or four days in a row. Today there was a United pilot who’s flying in the big planes now with the Airbuses, and he had a little bit of a layover, and he came out and he played, and he was quite good actually.

Playing outside does change the game, but for those like Paustian, the advantages of playing in a place like Schneider Park is what matters.

It’s just this setting, especially here, we’re along the river, the beautiful trees, the breeze. It’s just the difference between being outdoors and why you like, for instance, picnicking outdoors. You’d rather have a picnic outdoors than in your living room probably.

You can reserve a court 10 days in advance for $2 per hour on the Durango Parks and Rec website. For more information about this and other stories, visit DurangoLocal.News. Thanks for watching this edition of the Local News Network. I’m Connor Shrieve.