WORCESTER—Last week, the Worcester City Council adopted three orders to explore the potential expansion of pickleball facilities across the city. This decision comes as the sport has become the fifth fastest-growing in the U.S., boasting 3.5 million players nationwide.
The council’s agenda included three key items: requesting public input on incorporating pickleball into park master plans, exploring the use of school facilities for the sport, and assessing the feasibility of adding pickleball lines to existing tennis courts, particularly in Newton Square.
“I’m interested in new pickleball courts in Newton Square and I live on the west side of the city,” said Madeliene Del Toro-Cournoyer, a Worcester resident and passionate pickleball player who often travels outside of Worcester to play. “We don’t have a single court that is solely dedicated to pickleball,” she stated.
Del Toro-Cournoyer, who officially filed a petition with city council to explore options to convert tennis courts into pickleball courts, or build new ones, elaborated on the inadequacy of existing options, such as Holmes Field. “I’ve played there and there is no parking,” she told The Worcester Guardian “If they have two courts, and there’s at least eight people playing, there’s nowhere to park,” she explained. This lack of infrastructure has forced many Worcester residents, such as Del Toro-Cournoyer, to seek facilities in neighboring towns.
“It’s atrocious and embarrassing that I have to drive to Shrewsbury, Leicester, or Holden to host or participate in pickleball because Worcester doesn’t have designated places for pickleball,” Del Toro-Cournoyer said. She added, “I’m requesting for the second largest city in Massachusetts to contemplate, seriously consider, and implement and maintain the installation of new courts dedicated exclusively to pickleball or reconfigure existing tennis courts to accommodate the playing of pickleball for the benefit of all citizens living in other areas of Worcester.”
The growing tension between tennis and pickleball players, as seen in communities across the U.S., raises questions about how Worcester might handle future court space issues, and whether there would be pushback from the tennis community.
Take Annandale, VA, for instance. As reported by Pickleball.com, conflicts have emerged in the community, where pickleball enthusiasts protested the conversion of their courts back to tennis courts following noise complaints. Turf wars like these highlight the need for fair solutions as the popularity of pickleball continues to soar. Could Worcester face similar challenges if it expands its pickleball facilities?
Players such as Del Toro-Cournoyer argue there’s room for all. Specifically, Del Toro-Cournoyer is suggesting repurposing underutilized tennis courts. “People play in the mornings, afternoons and evenings,” she said “But the courts at Newton Square are empty, so why can’t we turn those into pickleball courts? With two tennis courts, you can create four pickleball courts. Then the tennis court netting can be left to divide the two pickleball courts on each tennis court. Then you just need pickleball netting and lines and it’s all ready for pickleball.”
According to Del Toro-Cournoyer, this would make for easy access to residents in the West, North, and Main South neighborhoods and would allow for ample street parking.
Mike Hamilton, USA pickleball ambassador for Worcester and a pickleball coach, echoed her thoughts. “I have heard numerous requests from residents for more pickleball courts throughout Worcester,” he said “The two existing courts are insufficient for our city’s population.”
Hamilton noted that surrounding areas have already established popular pickleball facilities.
“In contrast, surrounding areas like Northborough and Westborough have brand-new courts, and places like Shrewsbury and West Boylston have well-used outdoor courts,” Hamilton explained. “Holden is currently fundraising for new courts as well. Additionally, there are indoor courts in Boylston and West Boylston that are heavily utilized.”
According to Hamilton, as the second largest city in New England, Worcester hsa the potential to become a regional hub for pickleball enthusiasts and attract players from surrounding areas.
“This would not only support our many resident players but also boost local tourism and economic activity,” he explained.
“While some may raise concerns about potential noise, effective mitigation strategies have been successfully implemented in other residential areas. Moreover, pickleball is a highly social sport that fosters community engagement, promotes healthy activity, and facilitates friendships.”
Funding new pickleball courts, however, can be particularly substantial, Hamilton said, adding that courts in towns such as Northborough are frequently used and have become a particularly valuable asset to the community. Hamilton suggested exploring various funding sources, including grants, community fundraising, and public-private partnerships.
There are opportunities for the city to recoup some costs through programming, he continued. “I know that as a certified coach there are a number of local coaches that could collaborate with the city to offer clinics and lessons for residents,” said Hamilton “These programs can generate revenue to help with ongoing maintenance and operational costs.”
“There are currently two courts with pickleball lines installed: Holmes Field and Burncoat Playground,” said Robert Antonelli Jr., assistant commissioner of Parks & Recreation for the Department of Public Works & Parks. “East Park [on Shrewsbury Street] will have pickleball lines once repainting is completed, and Greenwood Park will have pickleball lines once repainting is complete.”
“Funding will need to be from the Capital Improvement Program, for both renovations and repainting of existing courts,” Antonelli explained. “The current challenge that many communities are facing includes the noise generated by the ball hitting the ground as well as the paddle. Many communities are dealing with the noise generated by the sport and in some cases are being sued to stop allowing pickleball in some parks.
“The master planning process requires public meetings and compromise to achieve a guidebook for renovations to a public park. Parks [and Recreation] has determined that any new pickleball courts installed other than the ones mentioned above will need more public vetting before they are installed in other park facilities.”
“City Councilor [Jenny] Pacillo is going to look into an open forum in the neighborhood of Newton Square,” said Del Toro-Cournoyer. “She is also going to have the Parks and Recreation Committee look further into my thoughts on additional pickleball courts in Worcester.”
However, she also voiced her concerns about the growing restrictions in neighboring towns. “Southborough now prohibits or limits playing in the courts that are only for residents,” she said. “I worry that the sport is going to grow so much and more people are going to want to play, but then they’ll realize they can’t play in other towns. We don’t have a dedicated space for pickleball here in the second largest city in Worcester.”
“I wouldn’t put any courts near any homes, given that it can interfere with quality of life,” said Mayor Joe Petty to the Worcester Guardian. “However, I’m a huge fan of the sport, and I know Robert Antonelli will help with the budgeting of potential new courts in the city.”
As the city moves forward with potential considerations of adding pickleball courts, Del Toro-Cournoyer said, “The city needs to make a serious commitment to everyone, regardless of whether they play tennis or pickleball. We should have equal access to facilities as pickleball players.”
“As a tennis player and member of the tennis community, I would encourage a push for adding new pickleball space,” said Maximilian Pschorr, a Worcester resident.” “I’d also [advocate] for potentially fixing the current courts at Newton Square that are in poor condition.”
Items involving pickleball courts in Worcester moves to City Manager Eric Batista’s desk for further consideration, according to Petty.
Matt Olszewski is a freelance content and news writer based in Boston, MA. In his free time, Matt enjoys running, hiking or skiing. Matt is currently finishing up the MPH degree program at Tufts University. He can be reached at mattoskier@gmail.com
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