Good News ! Pocono Township adding 3 pickleball courts to Mountain View Park :
Pickleball has surged in popularity, evidenced by the high demand for courts. Pocono Township stands out as the pioneer in Monroe County, set to construct outdoor courts.
“Pickleball’s popularity is skyrocketing, and we’re receiving numerous requests for it,” expressed Pocono Township Commissioner Natasha Leap. “
There’s really nowhere else in the area with courts, so we saw this as an opportunity to meet the demand.”
According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America. Participation rose by 85.7% in 2022 compared to the previous year, and by 158.6% over three years.
Public Works Director and Interim Pocono Township Manager Patrick Briegel anticipates breaking ground on the project by mid-June, with an estimated completion time of two months.
“We’ve had numerous requests over the years for pickleball courts, and people have been making do with the aging tennis courts in the back,” explained Board of Commissioners Vice President Jerrod Belvin.
“However, those courts are nearly 40 years old and beyond resurfacing. So, we decided to invest in newer facilities, relocating them closer to the underutilized older basketball courts.
This space will accommodate one basketball court and three pickleball courts, with improved accessibility according to ADA standards. Additionally, it will have electricity and lighting.”
The project will take place at Mountain View Park, adjacent to the Heritage Center and two aging basketball courts. One of these courts will undergo renovation to meet current standards, while the other will be converted into three pickleball courts perpendicular to the basketball court.
“The basketball courts at TLC Park nearby are heavily used, and I believe the public will similarly embrace the new court and pickleball facilities once completed,” added Briegel.
Mountain View Park boasts multiple pavilions available for rent through the township, as well as several ball fields and a large playground equipped with swings, jungle gyms, and age-specific play areas.
“We’ve recently added new playground features, including a zipline and a challenge-obstacle course, completed this spring,” Briegel noted. “There’s a lot of exciting additions at the park.”
Local pickleball enthusiasts are thrilled about the development. Pocono Pickleball, led by Zachary Hyman and Soly Gomez, actively promotes and teaches the sport through clinics across the Pocono region, including Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg.
“In our small community, we started with 45 people, and in the last two years, that number has quadrupled,” shared Hyman. “Our TeamReach group apps now have between 350-400 participants playing in the Poconos.”
Hyman emphasized the significance of the new courts in Pocono Township, marking the first outdoor pickleball courts in Monroe County.
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