F
or more than
two years,
the city of
Tempe, AZ,
had been looking
into the prospect
of building eight
dedicated pickleball
courts, with two
being wheelchair
accessible. Court
and outlying area
specifications were
guided by regulations
from the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
After receiving
direction from the
Tempe City Council
in the spring of 2017
to build the proposed
courts, potential
court locations were researched, and
additional public input was encouraged
during the summer months. A formal
design was developed and approved in
the winter, before seeking construction
bids and council approval for the
contract. Construction of the courts
started in December 2018. Six months
later, in May 2019, there was a grand
opening celebration attended by
more than 200 people, including local
dignitaries.
“Tempe’s mayor, council and staff place
a high priority on the accessibility of our
parks and their amenities. In working
with local pickleball ambassadors,
Tempe was able to design and construct
a magnificent pickleball complex that
includes two ADA-accessible courts,”
said Keith Burke, Community Services
Director of the City of Tempe. “There is
quite a bit of excitement for pickleball
in our community and we look forward
to hosting inclusive clinics, classes and
tournaments for many years to come.”
The Tempe Sports Complex now
boasts the first wheelchair-accessible
pickleball courts in the Southwest. The
courts have lights and are open for play
during the park hours of 6 a.m. to
10 p.m.
One of the key contributors to the
development of the project from concept
to completion was Steve Manolis,
USAPA Educational Ambassador,
Southwest Region. Steve has been
instrumental and an integral part of
the tremendous growth of pickleball
in the Phoenix suburbs. He acted
as pickleball court adviser for the
Tempe Sports Complex, organizing all
pickleball activities, which included
demonstrations, pro exhibit play, prize
contest events and teaching
kids and adults. “Our emphasis on
building pickleball courts in any public
community addresses pickleball as a
lifelong family-oriented sport, which
promotes physical literacy for youth
as young as 5 years old,” he said.
“Pickleball is one of the few sports
that favors no bias toward gender, age,
physical or mental ability, strength, or
special skill traits and still promotes a
healthy lifestyle.”
Steve is also involved in the
development of 16 outdoor pickleball
courts in the neighboring community
of Gilbert. The complex will also have
one dedicated adaptive court to include
wheelchair play.
With wheelchair-
adaptive pickleball
courts, the distance
between courts is
increased from 10’ to
12’ and the distance
from the court
sideline to the fence
is increased from 5’
to 12.’ The court’s
baseline distance
to the fence is also
increased from 8’ to
15.’ This additional
distance allows a
player in a wheelchair
the necessary room to
adequately stop while
playing pickleball.
The complex is
also equipped with
additional accessibility
improvements, including adding two
more ADA parking spaces adjacent to
the courts along with sidewalks that
meet ADA requirements.
“Tempe is proud to have the first two
accessible pickleball courts in the entire
state of Arizona,” said Mayor Mark
Mitchell. “Building infrastructure that
is inclusive to people of all abilities is
a priority in Tempe. It’s who we are as
a city. Pickleball has quickly become a
phenomenon, attracting players of all
skill levels and abilities. The beauty of
this game is that it is truly inclusive.”
Tempe is a taking a strong lead in the
construction of adaptive pickleball
courts that will provide play for all
participants, regardless of any physical
limitations. •
“Today, we have 38 dedicated
outdoor public courts and 24
dual-purpose public courts.
Current constructions
are adding another
22 dedicated public
courts, and plans
over the next three
to five years include
another 24 dedicated
outdoor courts,”
added Steve. “All are
open to the public.
With that growth we’re
introducing pickleball to
new players, youth and
adaptive players.”
Mayor Mark Mitchell
JULY/AUGUST 2019 |
MAGAZINE
31