Competition for Pickleball Court Space Will Be Topic of Montgomery Parks Virtual Speaker Series Online Panel Discussion on Friday, Sept. 8

Per Montgomery County: The competition for court space between tennis players and players of pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., will be the topic starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, in the next event in the Montgomery Parks’ Virtual Speaker Series. The online discussion, which is free to join and open to all, will feature a panel of experts discuss the challenges of meeting the rapidly growing demand for pickleball in local park systems, comparing the situation in Montgomery County with other areas of the country.

Registration to join the discussion is available at Register. What a pickle! Balancing pickleball and tennis in parks. A Zoom link will be sent to registrants the day before the session.

Pickleball’s popularity continues to grow rapidly in Montgomery County and across nation. The low-impact sport is played on a portion of a tennis court or on smaller dedicated courts with a tennis-like net. Players use paddles slightly larger than ping pong paddles to hit a plastic whiffle ball over the net. The sport is easy for people of all ages to learn, but often becomes very competitive among experienced players.

In 2019, Montgomery Parks concluded a multi-year study to assess how and where the agency can meet the demand for pickleball. Many of the recommendations have been implemented since then, and Montgomery Parks now has nearly 100 pickleball courts with many more planned.

Using input from residents, pickleball players and tennis players, Montgomery Parks is looking for ways to add more opportunities for outdoor pickleball play while mitigating potential negative impacts to nearby residents.