'Pickleball Capital of the World': Naples gambles on sport, wins big
We just concluded another U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in East Naples. And Pickleball may still seem like a new fad. But did you know, Pickleball was invented in the 1960s?
Those who know the sport, which is becoming more and more popular by the day, call Naples the Pickleball Capital of the World.
Digging through the Naples Daily News archives, we found some photos from this very date, April 28, 2016, and the very first championships played here in Naples – East Naples Community Park to be exact.
The U.S. Open Pickleball Championships were founded by Terri Graham and Chris Evon through their sports development firm, Spirit Promotions.
The first attracted around 800 participants and 2,000 spectators.
“Although it’s a very old sport, not many people had heard of it,” former Collier County commissioner Donna Fiala said. “It just hit the area and there was an almost immediate response. People wanted to get on board.
“It’s given us a place on the sports map as being the home of pickleball. To me, it’s a great asset.”
A dilapidated skate park was removed to make way for the courts.
“We’ve got a lot of seniors and retired people who are down here full time,” said Jim Ludwig, a USA Pickleball ambassador who spearheaded the project at East Naples. “They’re looking to get healthy and stay healthy. This is a way to do that. They love the facility we built.”
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples gambles, wins big on Pickleball, U.S. Open Championships
