Dave Hutner wants to see you in court
Pickleball – the fast-growing courtgame that looks like a mashup of tennis, ping-pong and badminton – is taking off big time in Cranberry. And the eight new courts in Graham Park dedicated to devotees of the sport don’t even open until mid-April. But the floor of the Municipal Center gym is already set up for play and is in heavyuse most days from about 8:30 until 3:30, according to Recreation Program Manager Dave Hutner.
Beyond benefitting from a constantly expanding national constituency for the sport, Cranberry’s pickleball phenomenon has been driven by the formation of a local competitive infrastructure, spearheaded by pickleball enthusiast and Township Supervisor Bruce Mazzoni. In addition to holding expert demonstrations of the sport, preparations for the opening of the new courts include the creation of a members-only Cranberry Township Pickleball League, CTPL, along with lessons, drills, rankings, pairings, reservations and more.
“They’re running programs for us,” Hutner said. “They’re teaching pickleball and showing people pickleball. They do those classes for us at no charge to the Township. In return, they’ll be getting preferential use of the courts. They’re already paying for it in membership dues. We manage the courts for them.
Identifying local enthusiasts for anyemerging sport is never easy. But in the case of pickleball, as with bocce, horseshoes, cornhole and other sports represented at the CTCC SportCourts project – supporters of each game had made themselves known through targeted donations. So generating excitement and interest got off to a huge headstart.
This winter, the Parks & Recreation department is focused on replicating elements of pickleball’s success for the enthusiasts of horseshoes and bocce and on drawing people into the new courts. Initial meetings are planned to identify and form a core of leaders to advance and support those sports. “We’ve got people who are passionate and knowledgeable about these sports and they’re bringing other people in,” Hutner explained. “This is how we want to grow it. They have a vested interest in making sure this program takes off.”
“We haven’t decided anything concrete yet. We want to get the interest groups together and see what’s going to work best to promote this sport. What works best for Pickleball doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what’s going to work best for horseshoes or for bocce. But we think it will. That’s the avenue we’re pursuing right now.”
Meetings of those interested in the Township’s court sports are being held monthly. Attending one carries no obligation. Meeting times and locations are available online or by calling the Parks & Recreation Information Desk at 724-779-4386.