Pickleball Court Glare at ACTIV Center: Several pickleball players have voiced complaints about poor indoor playing conditions at the newly opened ACTIV Center in Arlington, Texas. The facility, meant for residents aged 50 and older, has drawn criticism due to court glare and faint boundary lines, which players say make pickleball nearly unplayable.
Complaints Over Court Visibility and Design
Wayne Carter, a resident in his 50s, expressed disappointment with the new $64 million facility. After hearing negative feedback, he and his wife visited the center and confirmed the concerns.
“We recently made our first visit to the center. It’s a beautiful facility, but everything we’d heard about the indoor pickleball is true,” Carter wrote in an email to James Orloski, Arlington’s Parks and Recreation Director. “The design is primarily suited to basketball and volleyball, with a hardwood floor and large windows that create a terrible glare off the waxed floor.”
Carter noted that the court lines were painted in a “faint gray” color, which made them extremely difficult to see. “Almost impossible to clearly see the lines when you’re just standing there looking at them, much less in the middle of playing a point,” he added.
Facility Use and Community Feedback
The ACTIV Center opened in March and is intended to support various activities for adults over 50. Carter said that, despite the flexible schedule, too much time is devoted to basketball and volleyball—sports less popular among older adults.
“This is a facility for people 50 and older. The schedule that they have out, they have blocks of time for different things,” Carter told the Arlington Report. “At least half the time for that gym is blocked for basketball and volleyball. How many people aged 50 and older do you know who are going to go play full- or half-court basketball?”
He acknowledged that he does not have usage data yet but said: “Pickleball, a growing sport with fanatically devoted players, clearly was an afterthought in the gym’s design and usage planning. I fear this error will lead to lower-than-projected usage, leading to the gym being opened up for all-ages use.”
He urged the city to take immediate action. “I would encourage immediate steps to improve the gym as a pickleball facility, followed by monitoring participation in basketball, pickleball and volleyball sessions. I expect the data will suggest that the gym should be primarily — if not entirely — geared toward pickleball.”
City Responds to Player Concerns
James Orloski, Arlington’s Parks and Recreation Director, responded to Carter’s concerns by email. He thanked him for pointing out the glare issue and mentioned the city would consider options like window treatments.
“I do understand the pickleball perspective, but the gym isn’t designed to accommodate just one thing,” Orloski said. “We always planned for it to be a multipurpose facility designed to accommodate pickleball and also basketball and volleyball, as well as other activities (as our other facilities also do).”
He also said that pickleball is offered daily during the facility’s open gym hours. “We will be monitoring use and trends and, to your point, will be able to scale up or down accordingly depending on what is most in demand,” Orloski added. “I wouldn’t expect it will ever be just one thing; flexibility is key for a municipal facility serving the broader community. Pickleball will be an important aspect of the programming, but we also expect to offer basketball and volleyball, including leagues.”
Popularity of Pickleball vs. Other Sports
According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s 2025 report, 19.8 million Americans played pickleball in 2024, marking a 45.8% increase from the previous year. The sport has grown by 311% over the past three years.
Recreational basketball also remains widely played, with 31.95 million Americans participating at least once in 2024, according to Statista. However, the report does not specify how many basketball players are over age 50.
Senior Center Defends Multiuse Design
Venera Flores-Stafford, assistant director for Arlington’s Parks and Recreation Department, stated that the center was intentionally built for multiple uses.
“Our gym was intentionally designed as a multiuse space based on research and input from other senior-focused facilities, which showed a strong preference for flexible environments that support a variety of programs rather than single-use, dedicated spaces,” Flores-Stafford said. “This approach allows us to offer more opportunities for engagement, movement and socialization across a wider range of interests.”
She added that the center currently offers leagues in pickleball, basketball, volleyball, and cornhole, and will continue accepting registrations. “In addition to league play, we’re hosting open court times and ‘Learn to Play’ workshops that have seen encouraging turnout and help us build interest in the various sports,” she said.
Flores-Stafford emphasized that the department is ready to adjust programming based on participation data. “These offerings are part of our larger effort to grow a vibrant and inclusive recreational community.”
Community Input Could Shape Future Use
As more residents use the ACTIV Center, Arlington officials say they will continue monitoring which activities are most popular. Concerns raised by pickleball players like Wayne Carter may influence future updates to the facility, court designs, and scheduling. For now, city leaders are aiming to balance the needs of all recreational users in the senior community.
News in Brief: Pickleball Court Glare at ACTIV Center
Pickleball players at Arlington’s new ACTIV Center have raised concerns about glare and court visibility. City officials say the gym was built as a multipurpose facility and plan to monitor usage data to adapt programming. With pickleball participation rising, the gym’s future layout may shift based on community input.
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