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Six pickleball courts will be added to the already existing four courts located at K.C. Geiger Park in St. Marys.
ST. MARYS - City officials look to add six more pickleball courts at K.C. Geiger Park to accommodate more players and hold sanctioned tournaments for a game that has become a sensation in St. Marys and elsewhere locally.
"There certainly is the demand for more courts," said mayor Patrick McGowan. "We've had quite a few people into council expressing their opinion that they'd like to see more, they'd like to play more."
Four pickleball courts, fashioned from tennis courts, were opened to the public in July 2018. Since then, interest in the sport that combines elements of tennis, pingpong and badminton has surged.
Six pickleball courts will be added to the already existing four courts located at K.C. Geiger Park in St. Marys.
"The courts have been a real success. Pickleball is a big thing," McGowan said.
City council members at this week's regular meeting revealed the parks and playground committee has agreed to bump up the number of pickleball courts to 10 and maintain two tennis courts.
"We're not hurting ourselves by cutting down on the number of tennis courts. We're always going to have two tennis courts out there at K.C. Geiger Park," McGown said.
The high school's tennis courts are also open to the public but are underused, he said.
Councilors are now weighing two primary options at K.C. Geiger Park - expand the entire court area east or add a new court to the north.
"Going east, a tree and a drinking fountain would have to be removed. Fencing would need to be removed and additional fencing purchased. Asphalt would need to be added as well," read the minutes from the park and playgrounds commitee meeting earlier this month.
"Those options are being looked at by the parks department and they will get back to us on costs," said councilman John Bubp at this week's regular council meeting.
There is also the possibility of one day resurfacing and reconstructing tennis courts at Skip Baughman Complex.
"There is no clear plan for this area yet and much work would be needed to get it to a good playing condition," the minutes state.
In the meantime, city officials plan to make two temporary pickleball courts from the third tennis court at the park.
Zach Colobong, 16, Celina, lunges forward to volley a ball during a pickleball game at Eastview Park in Celina on Tuesday.
Taryn Willrath, 16, Celina, hits a ball during a pickleball game at Eastview Park in Celina on Tuesday.
The pickleball craze in St. Marys follows a national trend.
Pickleball remains the fastest growing sport in America today, according to Sports & Fitness Industry Association, a global trade association representing those in the sports products and fitness industry.
"Pickleball continued its incredible rise in America and remains the fastest-growing sport. Participation nearly doubled in 2022, increasing by 85.7% year-over-year and by an astonishing 158.6% over three years," said a news release. "But pickleball is not the only racquet sport to see continued growth. For the first time since 2015, every racquet sport increased its total participation number compared to the previous year."
