Mesquite, NV –

The new pickleball courts which have been in construction for the past 5 months, will be open for the use of the community starting Thursday, March 3rd. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be hosted by the City of Mesquite at 9:00 am. The location of the new pickleball courts is at 49 W. Old Mill Road.

During his State of the City address earlier last month, Mesquite Mayor Al Litman expressed enthusiasm and excitement for the new complex.

“This will be a huge benefit to the community and great for all ages to enjoy,” stated Litman.

Another significant person who was ecstatic about the new pickleball courts is Amy Bradshaw, the Executive Director of the Mesquite Senior Games. In an earlier interview with the Virgin River Times, she expressed the significant benefit of the new courts.

“It is in time for the Mesquite Senior Games,” said Bradshaw. “Pickleball is one of our most popular sports and is the faster-growing sport in the nation, especially lately amongst younger generations.”

According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, pickleball has grown nearly double the number of Americans playing the sport since 2017, five years ago. The reported number is 4.8 million Americans playing the sport now. Some areas are reporting an increase of 600% of growth in the sport, especially since the government lessened outdoor COVID-19 pandemic restrictions last year in July.

Pickleball was started by three fathers in Washington in 1965. According to the history of the sport. The game was named after a family pet, a dog named “Pickles”. The sport is a hybrid between tennis, ping-pong, and badminton and constantly keeps you on your toes. Fast action and unexpected ball travel keep the sport exciting and fun.

The hotel industry has been getting into the new growing sports fad as Marriot and other hotel chains have been converting tennis courts into pickleball courts. The sport has also gone pro as the Professional Pickleball Association Tour started in 2018 and has been growing since in spectators, including being bought up by Carolina Hurricanes NHL Owner, Tom Dundon. Dundon bought two of the major organizations of pickleball, The Professional Pickleball Association and Pickleball Central just in January of this year.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the pickleball courts on Old Mill will be again on Thursday, March 3rd at 9:00 am, located at 49 W. Old Mill Rd. For more information about the event, email Nicholas Montoya, City of Mesquite, Director of Athletics & Leisure Services @nmontoya@mesquitenv.gov

RESOURCES:

Mullen, Shannon. (2022, February 19). America’s fastest-growing sport is a cross of tennis, pingpong and badminton. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/19/1081257674/americas-fastest-growing-sport pickleball#:~:text=America’s%20fastest%2Dgrowing%20sport%20is%20pickleball%20With%204.8%20million%20people,ready%20for%20the%20big%20time.

The Senior Games Filling Up Fast