BEST OF EVANSTON 2023 Pickleball players call for more city facilities

Evanston picklers

By JAKE EPSTEIN the daily northwestern @jakeepste1n

Every winter morning, dozens of pickleball players pour into the McGaw YMCA, looking to test their skills and enjoy the company of a growing community.

“There were eight people (on the YMCA mailing list),” local pickleball player Michael Olsavsky said. “In a year and a half’s time, it’s grown — just at the YMCA — to 140 people.”

The game’s spread sparked calls from players for Evanston to dedicate more courts for pickleball. Currently, the city has no courts lined solely for the sport. Local picklers, who play on basketball and tennis courts that are also lined for pickleball, began contacting City Council to voice their concerns earlier in the year.

While the city provided the funds to resurface the tennis courts at four local parks, the Parks & Recreation Board debated whether to line the courts for tennis or pickleball. This led tennis and pickleball enthusiasts to crowd two Parks & Recreation Board meetings Jan.

19 and Feb. 16, asking for courts to be lined for their respective sport.

Pickleball player Patrick Clear said there are many compromises to be reached in the discussion between the two sports.

“There’s negotiating with the tennis community, but we’re also negotiating with the residents, because pickleball is louder than tennis,” Clear said.

One of the concerns some residents have about formally recognizing pickleball is additional noise. The players at the YMCA attributed pickleball’s noise to the social aspect of the game. In back-and-forth play, participants praise good shots and embrace the jovial spirit of play.

Pickleball requires less of a baseline skillset to develop than racket sports like tennis, and players can quickly rise the ranks from the “beginner” to “expert,” local player Andrea Gordon said. The paddle and the ball are harder than a tennis racket and tennis ball, and it’s much easier to make solid contact, resulting in stronger hits, Gordon said.

“This community is extremely welcoming, and everyone’s helpful,” Gordon said. “I’ve become an ‘advanced beginner’ because a lot of people here have really helped me, especially with serving. It’s a

» See PICKLEBALL , page 10 see page 5