FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. \u2014 Pickleball is a sport that actually started back in the 60\u2019s but exploded during Covid. <\/p>\n
On Sunday, dozens gathered at The Fort in Fort Lauderdale to celebrate the opening of the world\u2019s first pickleball stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe said we have to go all out, so what\u2019s never been done before? A pickleball stadium!\u201d said The Fort co-founder Brad Tuckman. \u201cWe have 43 courts, 14 of them are underneath the cover so you can play rain or shine, and then we also have the world\u2019s first pickleball stadium right behind me.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an idea that started five years ago that is now a reality. <\/p>\n
The facility is located right next to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Southwest 34th Street.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are just very pleased to be able to host a facility such as this,\u201d said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. \u201cYou see how active it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Active, competitive, and it engages people of all ages.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe literally take you through the first class, and from there you join a little WhatsApp group,\u201d said Tuckman. \u201cFrom there, you have a whole little community of people. If you want to continue to learn, we have everything in place to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Besides pickleball, \u2018the fort\u2019 also has a lake for water activities, a restaurant, and places to relax after a match or two. <\/p>\n
Trantalis said it is a great example of a public-private project.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor folks to understand how the city can work with private enterprise, to create the public-private partnerships, and to allow the city to monetize some of its assets that have been sitting dormant for so many years,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
The Fort is open every day, including holidays. <\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfe0 News From Your Neighborhood<\/p>\n
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