Pickleball is here to stay - despite its detractors

Pickleball, the trending sport taking over New York parks, has been garnering opposition from neighbors, but it's likely here to stay.

John Tejada

Feb 9, 2023, 7:49 PM

Updated 662 days ago

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Pickleball, the trending sport taking over New York parks, has been garnering opposition from neighbors, but it's likely here to stay.
Katherine Hedden is the pickleball ambassador for Manhattan. She says the hate the sport has received isn’t warranted.
“I feel like with a name like pickleball, people don't understand it and it has sort of a silly ring to it. So they come up with reasons why it should be in their community,” she said.
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation, attracting players of all ages, but some say, the city’s parks aren’t equipped to host the game.
Residents of Hell’s Kitchen are torn on the matter.
“I feel like it's a good sport, it keeps kids occupied. I don't see why not play pickleball. But I can see the other side’s argument of kids not having enough space to play,” says neighborhood resident Madeline.
But demand is demand, and the city is meeting it by constructing new pickleball courts.
In a statement to News12 New York, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation said, “We’re excited to add a new pickleball court at Hell’s Kitchen Park as we continue to work with the pickleball community and other community boards to identify additional sites where we can accommodate this fast-growing sport.”