Pickleball, ya'll! Charlevoix hosts tournament for growing sport
CHARLEVOIX — As pickleball's popularity sweeps the nation, people in Charlevoix are right on track with the growing trend.
On Sunday, June 2, a tournament was held at Charlevoix Township's public courts with many local participants.
Charlevoix Pickleball Players is a group that has 384 Facebook members and another 169 TeamReach app active members and continues to get bigger each year. They play every day during the summer from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Shanahan Field township courts. They also provide learning instruction from 2-4 p.m. on Thursdays free of charge by resident player John Beckett.
At 1 p.m. on Sundays, the group holds what they call "Sunday funday events." So far, the challenges have consisted of mixed doubles, women’s doubles, men’s doubles, round robin open play, and a centennial mixed doubles in which the players' combined age must exceed 100 years.
Subscribe: Check out our latest offers and read the local news that matters to you
As demand for the courts increase, Charlevoix player Kris Way has been one of several residents who want to see more courts built in the Charlevoix area.
Although there are currently a total of eight outdoor pickleball-specific courts on six tennis courts, the group is advocating to rebuild the city’s existing courts on Elm Street and to consider building additional courts in a different location.
With only four courts at Shanahan Fields, organizers said play is limited to only 16 players at any given time while others wait for the next available game to open up.
Pickleball is considered to be the fastest growing sport in the country. From 2019-2021, new pickleball-specific courts were built in Boyne City, Charlevoix Township, Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Bay Harbor, East Jordon, Walloon Lake, Birchwood Farms and Ellsworth.
For anyone interested in participating in the Charlevoix group activities, download the free TeamReach app and enter code CVX.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231)675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com. Follow her on Twitter, @adoylenews
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Pickleball, ya'll! Charlevoix hosts tournament for growing sport
