How courts are becoming the hottest summer hangout in the south suburbs.
PICKLEBALL FEVER HITS THE SOUTH HILLS
How courts are becoming the hottest summer hangout in the south suburbs.
BY JULIE TALERICO
I
In the rolling hills and leafy cul-desacs of Pittsburgh’ s south suburbs, a new sound has officially overtaken the Friday night roar of high school football stadiums and the Sunday afternoon crack of a baseball bat. It is the rhythmic, plastic pop-pop-pop of the pickleball, a sound that has transformed the region into one of the sport’ s most intense hotspots for active older adults looking for low-impact exercise and a younger, competitive“ ex-athlete” crowd— former high school tennis or volleyball stars— who find the game’ s fast-paced“ kitchen” battles addictive.
Just a few years ago, pickleball in areas like Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair, and Mt. Lebanon was a niche hobby relegated to the corners of multi-use gym floors or chalk-lined tennis courts. Today, it is a cultural phenomenon. In the South Hills, the transition from fad to fixation is complete.
The boom isn’ t limited to private clubs. Municipalities have felt the pressure to keep up with the soaring demand:
• In a move that signaled a shift in local recreation priorities, Mt. Lebanon converted tennis courts at Meadowcroft Park into six permanent, dedicated pickleball courts.
• Upper St. Clair’ s Community & Recreation Center has become a hub for indoor play, while outdoor courts at parks like Baker and Johnston are often packed from sunrise until the lights flicker off at 10 p. m.
• At Peterswood Park in Peters Township, the conversion of older spaces into dedicated pickleball hubs has created a sanctuary for players who prefer the unpredictable wind and the bright sun over climate control.
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