Pickleball Pick Up Pickleball Pick Up

Pickleball activity in Liberty has been growing with the recent development of new courts in local areas.

by Ash Merenbloom

In 2023, Liberty will get four pickleball courts near Withers road in the Westboro and Canterbury neighborhoods. Since gaining Chicken N’ Pickle in North Kansas City, the activity has been popular and accessible in Liberty.

“Pickleball is a social sport anyone can play, so it’s truly for all ages and all abilities. I hope people will find themselves there any time of day, playing with existing and new friends and finding a fun way to be healthy and active,” Director of Marketing for Chicken N’ Pickle Carrie Bartlow said.

Pickleball has grown tremendously. Before 2022, there were approximately 4.8 million pickleball players, and recent statistics show that 36.5 million have played at least once.

“I’ve only played pickleball once or twice, but it’s super fun. I would consider it an upgraded ping-pong. The racket is different from tennis, and the court is much smaller,” junior tennis player Paige Russell said.

Bartlow expands on the difficulty level and intensity of pickleball.

“You play to eleven points. It goes pretty quickly, and it’s easy to keep score. It isn’t super rough on your body as an impact sport is. It isn’t hard to learn. Once people play, I think it’s easy for people to want to play more,” Bartlow said.

However, before the new courts, Liberty will gain nine batting cages at Capitol Federal Sports Complex to help teams warm up before games. Sophomore baseball player Caden Barner feels optimistic about their importance.

“I feel like the key to hitting is repetition. If you want to improve as a hitter, you have to get your work in and do it every day,” Barner said.

The new cages can benefit many teams, but its priority is the efficiency of warm-ups for ball games.

“Currently, teams have to warm up on the turf or in an open area. [BJ] Staab said it’s not ideal as balls go flying and it adds too much time for that warm-up. It’s better to be batting or pitching rather than retrieving balls,” The CourierTribune said.

Barner elaborates on the benefits and future impact of the additions.

“It’s extra practice. It doesn’t give teams an excuse not to get their work in because of its availability. It will boost the baseball atmosphere,” Barner said.

Chicken N’ Pickle has been a pickleball hotspot for years. They’re now adding more courts to satisfy popular demand. “I’ve only played pickleball once or twice, but it’s super fun.” Russell said.

design by Laycie Carter