FROM THE USAPA for pickleball. Repeatedly rejected, they began looking for other space, and found it at Del Mar Park. Within a three-month period, and under the auspices of the Morro Bay Active Adults... 55 +, they raised $ 30,000 to build permanent courts on an existing under-utilized roller derby rink. With the city providing an additional $ 17,000, four courts opened in July 2016 to the public. In an agreement with the city, the players maintain the courts and make all improvements. They also provide daily court hosts during dedicated hours to welcome new players, with balls and paddles being available for use. Unlike other venues in the district, Morro Bay players come under the umbrella of the Active Adults, and therefore are not a club in their own right. All monies for maintenance and improvements come from daily donations.
The fourth set of permanent courts within SLO County opened in Arroyo Grande in September 2016. The group was awarded use of a tennis court that was rarely used, and striped four courts. Arroyo Grande is the only public venue currently in SLO County with night lighting. Like Morro Bay and Cambria, it has hosted several smaller, but wellattended fun tournaments.
Atascadero, Nipomo, San Luis Obispo, and Pismo Beach all have temporary public courts and are working hard toward making them permanent. Like the other venues, their battles tend to be with tennis players, roller derby, and roller hockey, none of which boast the number of players on a daily basis that pickleball has shown.
Santa Barbara County, the southernmost county in the district and the newest Central Coast venue, with eight permanent courts, recently hosted the inaugural American Riviera Classic, a USAPA-sanctioned event with 187 registered players. Santa Ynez Valley, which includes Santa Ynez, Solvang, and Buellton, recently appointed a new Ambassador and, with assistance from the Recreation Department, is also seeking permanent courts to supplant temporary ones. Santa Maria, the northernmost town in Santa Barbara County, also has temporary courts but continues to struggle with a permanent location and funding.
Monterey County, to the north, has two venues with temporary courts, and the group there is working diligently and relentlessly toward permanent courts.
Most of these venues may be found in the USAPA Places to Play guide. Costs to play range from $ 1 to $ 3 per day on the public courts, and $ 7 to $ 10 at the private clubs in Pismo Beach and Templeton.
There are certain things that have been common to the successful installation of pickleball courts within the California Central Coast district, particularly in areas where city officials are slow to accept that this is a sport that is here to stay: 1) there must be a leader who is driven to succeed; 2) accurate stats on the number of daily players, and where they are living or visiting from, must be kept; 3) a list with the names and email information for every player who visits the courts should be maintained, and regular updates should be sent to people on the list; 4) there must be consistency in the days, times and locale that pickleball will be played; 5) there must be a willingness to give clinics, free of charge, to all ages and ability levels; 6) a positive attitude and sense of humor, even in the depths of discouragement, must be maintained; 7) there should be a viable game plan; 8) there must be a strong volunteer base and group of supporters who will attend Recreation Department and City Council meetings, sometimes over and over and over; 9) there should be a willingness to reach out to other towns or cities that have successful programs and ask for suggestions and help; and 10) as in the game of pickleball, patience and perseverance are primary virtues.
Five years ago, not more than a handful of people in the CA Central Coast District had even heard of pickleball. Now the courts throughout the district regularly report having 25-50 players a day during dedicated hours. Multiply that by our 20 venues, and that is 500-1,000 players at any given time playing pickleball on the California Central Coast. Please come join us, and be prepared to fall in love... with the sport and with our district. •
JULY / AUGUST 2017 | MAGAZINE 57