Making Pickleball Unaffordable?

Pickleball players swarmed the Recreation Commission meeting Monday night expressing concerns over the possible increase in recreation fees in the new year. The fee increase would directly impact the pickleball fans and their ability to afford to play their sport.

The members of the commission were taken aback by a packed house for the monthly meeting.

“Wow! We appreciate everyone coming in and advocating for yourselves,” said Recreation President Megan James. “This committee is not trying to make pickleball unaffordable.”

Currently, the fee to play pickleball is covered under a gym membership or a $5 drop-in fee. The suggestion made by Carter Edwards, Recreation Director, was to change the rate of the pickleball players to a private function due to the formation of a nonprofit organization.

“If we [pickleball players] knew we were going to be punished for organizing, then we never would have done it,” said Cindy Carnes. “We just organized so that we could get grants and work with the town to improve already existing facilities.”

The pickleball players maintained their hours of play are not during peak hours of gym use, and they are flexible with sharing or moving their space if others want to exercise.

“If you increase the cost of pickleball, then the already off peak hours will remain empty,” said Cindy Loose. “[Making pickleball unaffordable] will affect the future health of our community.”

Edwards was concerned with liability and membership or fee tracking with the number of people dropping in to play pickleball. A suggestion was made for a QR code to be utilized to capture liability signatures and payment going forward.

Committee members were thankful for the voiced concerns and enthusiasm of the players to continue their sport affordably.

“It is way easier to make decisions and develop plans when a consensus of the people is heard,” said Councilman Bub Barkhurst.

After a 50-minute discussion, no decisions were made concerning the issue and a possible workshop could be an option to further flesh out the fee changes.

The next Recreation Commission will be January 6, 2025 at 6 pm in Saratoga Town Hall.