Regional
matters
continued
City Council voted to double the allocation of $60,000
for the project, which will soon go out to bid for
construction. The funding is coming from impact fees
from new development dedicated to parkland funding.
The project will convert the existing basketball court
into three pickleball courts, while building a new half-
court basketball area to replace a rarely used sand
volleyball court. The city will spend up to $120,000,
though $98,000 is estimated. The contract will be
offered to the lowest qualified bidder, per government
contracting laws.
Pickleball involves using a wiffle ball and paddle on
a court that’s smaller than a standard tennis court. The
ball doesn’t travel as fast as a tennis ball. The sport is
particularly attractive to seniors, who can play without
stressing their joints as much as they do in tennis, and
relieve pressure on their shoulders because the serve
is underhanded. But younger players also are starting
to play more, O’Kelly said.
“Pickleball is thought of as a senior sport,” O’Kelly
said. “But the largest growth is in the under-40
category. On the weekends especially, we’re seeing a
lot more younger people show up.”
Some of the club’s players travel to other county
communities, such as Templeton, Morro Bay and
Cambria, to play the sport, as well as to the national
tournament in Indian Wells, where SLO club members
such as Roar Berg-Johansen have earned medals.
Betsy Asmus, the club’s secretary, said the social
aspects of the sport also make it enjoyable.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t have a
barrel of laughs about something,” Asmus said. “It’s
great exercise, but it’s also just so much fun.” •
Article reprinted with permission by San Luis Obispo Tribune
newspaper (McClatchy Company); writer, Nick Wilson and
photographer, Joe Johnston.
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