Baylor Expands Pickleball Facilities: Baylor University is set to open the Paul and Jill Underwood Pickleball Courts, a 12-court facility replacing four eastern courts at the McLean Tennis Courts. The new courts will serve as a hub for competitive and recreational players, with construction delays pushing their expected completion close to the scheduled regional tournament on March 29.
A Growing Pickleball Presence on Campus
Pickleball’s rapid surge in popularity has been evident at Baylor. What started as a few painted lines on the McLean Tennis Courts soon evolved into designated courts at the McLane Student Life Center. Now, thanks to a donation from Baylor alumni Paul and Jill Underwood, the sport has a dedicated space on campus.
Underwood, a retired restaurant owner from Brownwood, has played a key role in growing the sport at Baylor. Upon returning to Waco, he became involved with the university’s pickleball club, eventually taking on the role of coach for the competitive team. His financial contribution helped make the new courts a reality.
Competitive and Recreational Players Unite
With the growing number of players, managing competitive and recreational play has become a challenge. San Diego junior Brady Small, president and founder of the Baylor Pickleball Club, wanted the club to have a competitive side but lacked the resources. Underwood stepped in, offering to lead the competitive team.
“I knew [pickleball] was just starting to take off. I wondered what Baylor had going as far as pickleball. Back then, it was just a social club.” – (Underwood)
Small welcomed the idea, as he had hoped for a competitive team but didn’t have the experience to run one.
“I’d wanted to start something similar, but I didn’t have the resources to go about running a competitive side.” – (Small)
Underwood’s leadership helped the team gain official recognition as a club sport in 2024, culminating in a trip to the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rankings (DUPR) national tournament last November. However, the club’s success also highlighted a challenge—balancing recreational and competitive play.
A Facility Designed for All Players
The Underwood Courts aim to solve this issue by providing enough space for both groups. Four courts will be designated for the competitive team, while the remaining eight will be available for recreational players.
“We can’t have competitive and casual play at the same time because when they’re training for tournaments, it’s hard to combine the social aspect of the club where they’re just playing, having fun and playing random games.” – (Small)
Underwood believes the new courts will bring the club together.
“The beauty about the facility is that it’s going to be the big uniter because the team has basically operated separately. The club has struggled because they didn’t really have enough courts, but now they will.” – (Underwood)
While the courts are primarily for the pickleball club, Underwood sees them benefiting the entire Baylor community.
“I didn’t really do it just for our group. It’s really something for the whole campus.” – (Underwood)
News in Brief: Baylor Expands Pickleball Facilities
Baylor University is set to open the Paul and Jill Underwood Pickleball Courts, a new 12-court facility, to accommodate growing interest in the sport. The courts, funded by a donation from Baylor alumni, will serve competitive and recreational players and are expected to host a regional tournament on March 29.
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