The nationwide pickleball craze is continuing to sweep North Texas.
Plano announced a new partnership with Plano Sports Authority (PSA) that will see new courts built in the city. The pickleball partnership is set to begin June 19, according to officials from the city.
The news comes after the USA Pickleball and the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) announced that Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch would host the 2023 USA Pickleball National Championships, officially moving from its previous home at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California.
Dallas is also seeing increased pickleball activity. Pickleball Kingdom, based in Arizona, has secured a five-unit franchise deal in the city. Local Dallas businessman Dan Jenkins is partnering with the brand to bring indoor locations to the Big D.
Earlier this month, The Dallas Express reported that the sport had experienced an explosion in popularity, growing by 467% in the United States over the past five years, with over 36 million players today. Even professional athletes like LeBron James and Kevin Durant are investing in professional teams.
“More and more people trying the sport for the first time, folks setting up Facebook groups, clubs organizing everything, and more and more push on cities and governments to build more courts to satisfy demand,” Brandon Mackie, CEO of Pickleheads, recently told The Dallas Express.
Pickleheads is a directory that tracks courts across the country so players can find places to play. According to their website, they have profiled over 12,000 pickleball courts in over 5,000 U.S. cities.
In response to the public’s demand for more pickleball courts, the Plano City Council altered a lease agreement to permit the public to play the popular court game at PSA1, located at 6500 Preston Meadow Drive in Carpenter Park, reported WFAA.
Additional details about the new pickleball courts in Plano will be shared on the Plano Parks and Recreation and PSA websites as they become available.
