As the city of Sturgeon Bay makes plans for more pickleball courts in the parks, communities around the country are forming organizations to keep up with one of the fastest-growing sports.  Gordon Statz from Royal Oak, Michigan is part of one of the most active Pickleball organizations in the country that actually took the initiative to help set up and maintain courts in the park system.  He says the ten-year-old club became a formal non-profit organization in the past two years allowing it to do more things.

Statz adds that the group has hosted several major summer pickleball tournaments that have attracted over 250 players the past couple years.  He says funds raised through the tournaments has covered nearly the entire equipment and improvement costs to the courts.  Sturgeon Bay recently announced plans to give pickleball players permanent courts in 2020 at Sunset Park if a $40,000 budget request is approved.  The city is in the process of striping the courts for this summer at Sunset and Otumba Parks. 

(photo courtesy of Southeastern Michigan Pickleball Association)