But only 56 players could play at one time on the maximum 14 courts available at current venues.<\/p>\n
It needed a facility with 12 or 14 courts available 16 hours a day, seven days a week.<\/p>\n
Brown said players were sitting out every other game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no venue that can really accommodate large numbers, and there\u2019s no venue that really wants to accommodate pickleball. It\u2019s just impossible to organise.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to get into the council facilities like Baypark and the Haumaru Sports and Recreation Centre, where you share with a lot of other sports.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pickleballers got \u201ca couple of hours here and there\u201d, but Brown said the players needed a dedicated stadium.<\/p>\n
The sport was growing in popularity in Tauranga and around the world because of its widespread appeal, Brown said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a sport anyone can play. If you can hold a racket, you can play pickleball because, unlike tennis, there is no serve to learn. <\/p>\n
\u201cEverything\u2019s underarm so that you can play at different stages of life, different levels of competency, and you can have a great game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bob Smith and Warick Floyd during a match at the Mount Pickleball Classic on September 12 at Mercury Baypark. Photo \/ Bijou Johnson.<\/p>\n
Brown said pickleball was more of a social game compared to tennis, which was \u201ca bit more aggressive and a bit more impact\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou can actually talk to each other across the net. There\u2019s a lot of sledging, lots of comments.<\/p>\n
\u201cPickleball doesn\u2019t have any impact on your body, so you don\u2019t get those stress injuries you get out of tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown said finding land for a stadium was the trust\u2019s \u201cfirst problem\u201d to solve before a stadium could be built.<\/p>\n
The trust was hoping it could work with Tauranga City Council to find a suitable location, preferably at Blake Park, as the council was already working to develop the park as a field sports hub for community and high-performance sport, with a secondary focus on events.<\/p>\n
Brown said the trust had asked the council to buy land on its behalf, which the trust would buy back \u201cover the next five to six years\u201d. <\/p>\n
The council told the Bay of Plenty Times it had not explored any funding options for a pickleball stadium. <\/p>\n
Bay of Plenty Pickleball Stadium Trust’s proposed arrangement within the Tauranga City Council’s master plan for Blake Park. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
The council\u2019s master plan for Blake Park included a new car park on the corner of Hull Rd and Maunganui Rd.<\/p>\n
The trust had proposed using the airspace above the car park for a pickleball stadium, Brown said.<\/p>\n
It would complement the existing tennis, cricket and rugby clubs as a \u201ccombined social hub\u201d, Brown said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really keen on establishing a centre of excellence. Why not become the pickleball centre of excellence for the North Island, where all the tournaments are played?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt brings a little bit of money into the economy, but raises the profile of Tauranga as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bay of Plenty Pickleball Stadium Trust’s proposed arrangement within the Tauranga City Council’s master plan for Blake Park. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
A pickleball tournament could attract up to 300 entrants, Brown said, with three-quarters of those numbers travelling from out of town and bringing family. <\/p>\n
He said the demographics were changing as well.<\/p>\n
Pickleball used to be \u201can old people\u2019s sport\u201d, but the Mount Pickleball Club has had club champions as young as 14. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe young people are picking up on it. But at the moment, we can\u2019t cater for working people because we don\u2019t have any court space available for them to come and play at night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown said the facility would not be cheap, but he had ideas on where to find the funds.<\/p>\n
\u201cPickleball finds a third of the cost, council covers another third, and government provides the final third.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tauranga City Council head of spaces and places Alison Law said the council had not explored any funding options yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cProjects like this need to go through a business case process, which would involve an independent assessment of need, feasibility, and the investment and operating model. We\u2019re keen to work with the trust to help guide that along,\u201d Law said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPickleball is growing, and we\u2019re exploring how we can support that.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said there was potential to add more racquet sport capacity at Blake Park. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to factor in the proximity of the Mount Tennis Club and the upcoming relocation of the Netball Centre. As well as this, there\u2019s an opportunity to look at the uses and configuration of facilities at the Eastern end of Blake Park, in the context of the next phase of the Blake Park Masterplan.\u201d<\/p>\n