While the rest of us are perfecting the art of sweating through our shirts the minute we step outside, there's a group of Orange County park-goers who are turning the summer heat into a competitive edge. The latest craze to hit the outdoor recreation scene is pickleball, and the locals are here for it with paddles swinging and plastic balls flying.

The fever for this paddle sport has skyrocketed so much that the county recently proudly pulled the curtain off its newest $1.5 million outdoor pickleball complex. which saw its first light in east Orlando, complete with eight shiny new courts. These purpose-built zones have everything a pickleball die-hard could wish for.

Advanced players and newcomers alike are flocking to experience the fresh courts. You've got folks like Brian Straub, who was sidelined by knee surgery yet still made a 20-minute trek just to give his thumbs up. "They did a wonderful job. I love the layout, the benches, and the shade," Straub said, as per Orange County, Florida. For others, like Becky Tyree, pickleball isn't just a game; it's a lifeline that brought them back into the fold of the living after a personal tragedy, now it’s a five-day-a-week habit that's all about community and some healthy competition.

It's no wonder then that Mayor Jerry Demings is all in, saying investments in amenities like these are crucial as the county blossoms, with nearly 36 million pickleball players nationwide it's not just a passing fancy, but a full-on movement. The proof in the passionate player base, from parents like Jessica Mestre Jeffery, who hits the courts with her preschooler in tow to seasoned whisperers of the sport like USA pickleball ambassador Dave Vander Weide, who's been banging the pickleball drum since 2016 and clearly, Orange County is marching to his beat.