Sure Shot Pickleball in Naperville wants to tap into the sport’s growing fan base by offering year-round play
Daeson Blue twirled the pickleball paddle once, twice in his hand. Fixing his gaze across the court, he brushed the sweat off his forehead. He glanced, briefly, at his partner, then lowered into position.
Swing, rally, miss. Blue threw his hands up.
“Victory!” he shouted.
Blue spent the drizzly start to the week at Sure Shot Pickleball, Naperville’s newest year-round, weather-protected spot to indulge in the country’s fast-growing sport. Open for play as of Sunday, the 27-000-square-foot facility at 2244 Corporate Lane offers 11 indoor pickleball courts, surfaced as if situated outside but nestled inside for a wind-free, snow-free or — in Blue’s case Tuesday morning — rain-free experience.
He embraced Sure Shot’s timely kickoff.
“It’s raining all day, where are we gonna go?” said Blue, adding that he plays pickleball regularly for as much as five to six hours a day. “We’re gonna go to Sure Shot.”
He wasn’t the only one. By 9 a.m. Tuesday, almost all of Sure Shot’s 11 courts were filled. With four people per court, the space bustled. Paying no mind to anything but the game, players zeroed in on the strokes in front of them, lunging, volleying and sometimes yelling — all in good fun, of course.
Finishing up an intense game, Blue relished the low stakes but satisfyingly fierce practice time.
“There’s enough competitiveness to where it’s fun, but it’s not like we’re playing against pros. … We’re just having a good time,” he said. “You’re going to make mistakes, but that’s OK. That’s how you learn.”
Welcoming and with opportunities to play for all ages and proficiency levels is what Sure Shot founders — a small group of local pickleball enthusiasts — hoped for when they started entertaining the concept last fall.
“You can just drop in, show up and mix with different partners every game,” co-founder Tim Kelly said. “(You can) make new friends. That’s the unique thing about pickleball. It just brings people together to form a community.”
Born and raised in Wheaton, about 10 minutes from Sure Shot’s Naperville facility north of Ferry Road and east of Route 59, Kelly started playing pickleball two years ago with his wife, Denise. The couple were hooked from the start.
They aren’t alone. In the last three years, pickleball participation in the United States grew 158.6%, to 8.9 million players, in 2022, according to a report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. A study released by the Association of Pickleball Professionals in January found that between August 2021 and August 2022, 36.5 million adult Americans played pickleball at least once.
“The love of the game has just grown all over,” Denise Kelly said.
Seeing similar frenzy in Wheaton and areas nearby, the Kellys wanted to feed the local love of the sport, which the couple said seemed to be growing faster than courts available.
Naperville Park District offers 18 dedicated, outdoor pickleball courts, two outdoor courts lined for both pickleball and tennis, and six inside courts at the Fort Hill Activity Center. In Aurora, the Fox Valley Park District offers three outdoor and two indoor locations. The Wheaton Park District has a total of 17 dedicated courts — some inside, some out — plus a couple that double for tennis.
Even still, the Kellys saw a need.
“We could never find a court,” Denise Kelly said. “A lot of tennis courts were being converted for pickleball, but those were just outside. We would go to indoor courts during bad weather, but they were gymnasiums and they were so limited.”
They wanted a local indoor space that was for pickleball and pickleball only. They weren’t alone. Friends and fellow players — Mark and Lisy Murman, Mike Nicolosi and Dean Grant, all of Wheaton — felt the same way. They started exchanging ideas last November and 10 months later, their new business is open.
“You know, we sat around a table, we came up with ideas, we had a vision board,” Tim Kelly said. “We thought it would be cool to do this or that, but now that it’s actually up and running, it’s like, holy cow, we actually did this.”
And more is on the way.
For the more avid players, or those looking to test their competitive chops, Sure Shot will be launching leagues next month.
The fall season will start Oct. 2, with leagues sorted by experience levels. In pickleball, players skills’ are rated 1.0 to 5.5+ — essentially, from novices to seasoned players who might have a few tournaments under their belt.
Sure Shot’s four leagues will have groups for those rated at 2.5 and under, 2.5 to 3.25, 3.25 to 4.0, and 4.0 and above.
“The buzz right now is the leagues,” co-founder Dean Grant said. “It’s a very exciting time here. Everybody’s just champing at the bit.”
Once structured play is underway, six of Sure Shot’s 11 courts will be devoted to leagues. Three will be set aside for drop-ins and the last two available by reservation. Instructors are being hired to offer private and group lessons.
Sure Shot also plans to host a Amateur Pickleball Association Tournament from Sept. 30 to Oct.1.
“It’s just getting going,” said Tim Kelly, sitting in Sure Shot’s currently unnamed lounge, for when players want a break or a drink. He’s toying with name “Court 12,” he said.
“Kind of like the 19th hole in golf,” he said.
Carrying a fresh water bottle, Aurora resident Calvin Shih walked away from the lounge and back towards the action. He spent Tuesday morning playing doubles with fellow local players Nicole Fang, Melissa Richards and Bob Laramie.
Ready for another round, Shih paused to show off his shirt.
It read, “Life is good. Pickleball makes it better.”
Sure Shot is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 11 Friday and Saturday. Anyone can drop in and pay $10 for two hours. Court rental by reservation is $40. Annual memberships cost $399, which drops the daily fee to $5 per two hours of drop-in play time and $30 to rent a court.
