FOLLOWUP: Pickleball lines to be added to NCSWAC tennis courts

| West Seattle news | Westwood | WS & Sports

(WSB photo, February)

Back in February, we reported on the rapid growth of the relatively new Westside Pickleball League, an all-ages group playing the official Washington state sport. The story noted that the group was seeking Seattle Public Schools permission to add pickleball lines to the district-owned Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex courts west of Southwest Pool. One of the league administrators, Amy Greger, tells us that they have now received that permission, and the league will cover the cost of painting lines for 12 pickleball courts on the six tennis courts. As explained here, the weather has to warm up a bit before the courts can be cleaned and painting can be done. They’re hoping to have the initial league tournament at the NCSWAC courts in June.

ADDED TUESDAY: The league clarifies, SPS has given permission to paint lines for six pickleball courts, while six more will be “marked for taping.”

PickleNovice April 17, 2023 (1:34 pm)

Hurray! My family and I are just starting to play and we have been using these tennis courts to play. It will be great to have the real lines so we can actually have some rules. We have just been winging it. :)

wscommuter April 17, 2023 (2:06 pm)

I’m all for this … so long as we segregate pickle ball courts from tennis courts. The two sports do not mix well. So let Nino Cantu be for pickle ballers and leave the rest of WS’s tennis courts alone.

PB April 17, 2023 (2:52 pm)

False. First come, first serve, you need to share public spaces.
Rumbles April 17, 2023 (3:09 pm)

Why would you want to do that? How is it that they don’t “mix well”?
Amy April 21, 2023 (2:24 pm)

SWAC tennis courts belong to the Seattle Public Schools, different than the Seattle Parks and Recreation tennis courts.

Nuancedream April 17, 2023 (3:33 pm)

There will be no tennis courts left in West Seattle except for the ones at Solstice Park, which are in terrible condition and last resurfaced in 2013. Walt Hundley and Delridge courts have already been taken over by pickleball players.

Boop April 17, 2023 (8:59 pm)

@ Nuancedream — The tennis courts are still there and we can all share them. I’ve passed them at times where there are open courts, for both sports. Let’s not amp up the rhetoric on this please… do we really need another thing to create division amongst each other?! I really don’t think so. Thank you, and hope to see you on the court!

Olivia April 18, 2023 (6:24 am)

Pickleball players arrive early to courts, and swap in & out players each game. It’s a low cardio game so they are able to play/stay all day, and they do. When others show up to play tennis, there’s no way to grab a court. The NCSWAC courts on Thistle Street were a place for those tennis players to go, since Delridge and Walt Hundley have essentially been established as pickleball courts only. Where else in West Seattle can tennis players grab a court now? I’m unsure.

Nuancedream April 18, 2023 (2:27 pm)

The tennis players may end up at the courts at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center.
Amy April 21, 2023 (2:22 pm)

Solstice, Hiawatha, Alki, and Riverview are all in West Seattle.

Just Sayin' April 18, 2023 (4:14 pm)

I think they should open up the high school gymnasiums (after school hours) when not in use by high school teams. They have basketball hoops & volleyball nets (which could be used for badminton too) … can’t play any of those outdoors on rainy days.

If tennis courts can be deemed, “multi-use”, then the same should apply to tax-payer funded school gyms.

WSB April 18, 2023 (6:09 pm)

In our previous report, linked in this one, we showed how this league is using CSIHS’s gyms on Sundays.
WPL April 21, 2023 (2:18 pm)

The league rents CSHS gyms from Seattle Public Schools (SPS) for indoor pickleball during the winter/spring months. SPS can’t just “open up gyms for public”… but they are available for rent with approval and requirements met (e.g. liability insurance).

https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/facility-operations/property-management/buildingrentals/

Pickleballforall April 19, 2023 (9:58 am)

I see the Westside Pickleball League donated 3 squeegees to the Chief Sealth Tennis team and donated money to Highland Park Elementary. This league appears to be helping our local School’s. How cool is it people are playing a sport with other people in the community, getting some exercise and the money they are paying to play in league or tournaments is going back to our local school’s? We need more of this to fund our school’s and their enrichment programs.

WPL April 21, 2023 (2:12 pm)

Westside Pickleball League has also donated to Sealth Athletics and running an intro to pickleball clinic as a West Seattle High School PTSA fundraiser on 4/22. We will continue to run the league as a local West Seattle fundraiser to support pickleball programs and local schools.
https://westsidepbleague.com/about/

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