What happened: The district is the latest community to acknowledge the growth in pickleball popularity, as it considers incorporating pickleball into its tennis courts.
Background: Residents approached Superintendent Brian Troop in June to discuss how to increase the availability of pickleball facilities in the community, he said.
Facilities: The district has two sets of tennis courts. The first set, constructed in 2022, is on Oak Boulevard, across the street from Ephrata High School, Sarah McBee, district spokesperson, said. The second set of courts at Ephrata Middle School was refurbished in 2017. Pickleball lines are only painted on the Oak Boulevard courts, which feature tennis nets.
Public comment: Linda Brown, an Ephrata Borough resident, said she wants to run pickleball leagues and summer camps for children. She also said she would volunteer to coach if Ephrata were to establish an interscholastic pickleball team. She teaches pickleball courses at the Ephrata Recreation Center, which are held at the Oak Boulevard tennis courts. She said she worries about what to do if others are on the courts playing tennis during her classes. Brown said she hopes six pickleball courts can be implemented in some fashion, with nets specifically designed for the game.
Detail: The high school has a pickleball club, Richard Hornberger, assistant superintendent of secondary education, said.
Tennis talk: Officials consulted with the high school tennis coach regarding the frequency of use of the district-owned courts by the Ephrata tennis program, Troop said. The Oak Boulevard tennis courts are used for junior varsity matches, practice during the season, as well as overflow space for varsity matches, training and summer clinics. Through conversations with tennis coaches, Troop said they expressed hesitation about adding pickleball lines on the varsity courts at Ephrata Middle School, due to potential interference with line-judging calls during matches.
Source:https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/ephrata-residents-ask-school-officials-to-make-facilities-more-pickleball-friendly/article_d5a4cf7d-2040-4bda-a7dd-f7905526ecb0.html