With pickleball gaining momentum as the fastest-growing sport in the United States, Chicago is heeding the call for more courts – especially of the indoor variety to accommodate all-season play. As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, with participation in the sport increasing by a whopping 223.5% in the past three years, the demand for indoor play space is spiking faster than a well-served pickleball.
Vivian Mumaw, a Chicagoan from Lake View's Southport Corridor, embodies the enthusiasm for an indoor setting. As she says in a statement obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, "There's not a lot of indoor courts. Now that it's starting to get colder, we'll see what happens. It'll be a little bit of a free-for-all." Despite the apparent scarcity, players like Mumaw are finding their haven at SPF in Lincoln Park, hailed as one of the biggest indoor pickleball facilities in the city. However, the capacity limits of these facilities are a constant reminder that more is needed. SPF can accommodate 16 players at a time, while Ace will be able to fit up to 52 players.
Moving away from a seasonal approach, the Chicago Park District is also embracing the pickleball craze with a taxpayer-assisted Pickleball Mania initiative aiming to add 200 new courts by 2025, a hefty jump from a goal just a year prior, according to SPF's co-founder Rich Green. And while the outdoors is limbering up with new courts, such as the eight debuting at Jackson Park, the rush for protected play from the elements is real. As detailed by the Hyde Park Herald, these new courts join the municipal tapestry of play areas, thanks largely to the strategic investments from the Chicago Recovery Plan.
On the business end, finding a viable space for indoor courts is akin to threading a needle in a Windy City gale. SPL's current pop-up in Logan Square and Ace's impending Des Plaines location point to industrious solutions within Chicago's real estate conundrum. Chris Bobowski, a senior director at Cushman & Wakefield, implies that it's not just about locating ample parking and high ceilings. He told the Chicago Sun-Times, "You’re looking for industrial, but you need retail parking. If you’re just in an industrial park that may not be as enticing for players." Zoning, liquor licenses, and essentially navigating the city's complex retail jungle are part of the challenge.
Through it all, community spirit remains a central pull for Chicago's pickleball players. Margaret Olawoye, at 82 years young, is crushing overhead smashes at Jackson Park's courts, fostering both fitness and friendships. She and others like Constance Turner Burkes, have turned these spaces into social centers, celebrating new connections and athletic endeavors. "She came over here to Jackson Park, where we play every Monday and Wednesday, and we're like, 'Who is that lady? She's good,'" Burkes recounted to the Hyde Park Herald.
