Okotoks proposes World-Class Pickleball Hub: Pickleball’s meteoric rise as one of the world’s fastest-growing sports has not gone unnoticed in the town of Okotoks, where enthusiasts are eagerly capitalising on its burgeoning popularity.
With demand for pickleball courts outstripping availability, makeshift arrangements, such as taped-off lines in gymnasiums, have been the norm for players like Greg Auld and Don Lang, director and president, respectively, of the Okotoks Pickleball and Tennis Centre (OPTC). However, these temporary measures have proven insufficient to accommodate the burgeoning interest, prompting the OPTC, in collaboration with the town of Okotoks, to embark on an ambitious venture to meet the region’s pickleball needs head-on.
“We believe it’s going to be a very unique facility on the world stage,” remarked Ryan Sawatzky, OPTC president, regarding the plans unveiled last month for a groundbreaking 44,000-square-foot complex. Nestled adjacent to two schools in the town’s north, the facility is poised to feature a dozen indoor pickleball courts, complemented by outdoor court space, as well as amenities like a restaurant and bar.
Sawatzky emphasised the facility’s broader objective of enticing more youngsters to embrace the sport, envisioning a future where pickleball becomes a staple of youth recreation. “We will provide lessons to ten thousand kids in the surrounding community in the first five years of the facility’s construction,” he asserted, underscoring the project’s transformative potential.
While the ambitious venture carries a $10 million price tag, the pickleball community’s fervour has already seen $6 million raised, signalling widespread support for the initiative. Anticipation runs high among enthusiasts, who view the forthcoming complex as a catalyst for furthering the sport’s reach and appeal across diverse age groups and skill levels.
“My wife said the other day that she’s playing against a 14-year-old who has joined now.” So that’s the other reason for the facility—we can have all kinds of different age groups and different ratings,” noted Auld, underscoring the inclusive ethos driving the project forward.
With construction slated to commence in the spring of next year, the Okotoks Pickleball and Tennis Centre’s visionary endeavour is poised to redefine the region’s recreational landscape, ushering in a new era of pickleball prominence by providing a state-of-the-art hub for enthusiasts to hone their skills and foster a vibrant community spirit.
News in Brief
In Okotoks, a town swept up in pickleball fever, plans for a cutting-edge complex signal a bold leap into the sport’s future. Led by the Okotoks Pickleball and Tennis Centre (OPTC) and the town itself, the $10 million project promises a sprawling 44,000-square-foot haven for enthusiasts, complete with indoor and outdoor courts, dining options, and a lofty ambition: to introduce 10,000 local children to the game within five years. With $6 million already raised and construction set to start next spring, Okotoks is poised to become a shining beacon of pickleball prowess
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