Payson Seymour Athletic Club Pickleball Courts: People in Payson will soon have their own place to play pickleball, thanks to the Payson Seymour Athletic Club’s efforts. After a year of planning and fundraising, construction has started on two new courts east of the high school baseball field, with hopes to open them by early August.
Building New Courts
The Payson Seymour Athletic Club organized a gun raffle and “chuck a duck” contests during basketball games last winter to raise money. Club members tore out an old tennis court in June, and Hagerbaumer Construction poured the concrete on June 19.
Lucas Brass, a club representative, said the concrete needs about a month to harden before it can be painted.
“We’ve raised somewhere around $13,000 or $14,000 since we started, and we’ve still got some things we want to do, but we’ve had a really good response from the community,” Lucas Brass said.
Ongoing Fundraising and Sponsors
The club’s total fundraising goal is about $20,000. Lucas Brass said there are still sponsorship spots between $250 and $1,000.
“If there’s a fencing company out there that would be willing to help us out on fencing materials, we don’t mind doing the labor,” Lucas Brass said. “We’re going to make sure we get all the sponsors’ logos and recognize them on the pickleball courts when we get that done to show our appreciation.”
Use for Everyone
Once completed, the courts will belong to the Payson School District but will be open to all residents.
Lucas Brass explained that people in town already love the sport.
“We have a gentleman at the bank who bought a net to put it on this fairly flat concrete deal next to the elementary school,” Lucas Brass said. “Just him and his family play there, and some retired ladies play like three or four days a week. There’s a gentleman outside of town and his wife, and they have a pickleball court painted in their shop. They play in there two or three days a week.”
He added that the sport appeals to all ages.
“It just shows the popularity of the sport, and it shows age really doesn’t matter,” Lucas Brass said. “Folks still talk about how they played pickleball in junior high and high school with Rita Speckhart, and they’ve kind of seen the resurgence of (the sport). We have that 60-to-70-year-old crowd who’s playing quite a bit, and they’re looking for a place to not have to drive into Quincy. They can play right here in town, so that’s exciting for them to save a little gas and be able to play right here.”
The new courts are expected to help bring the community together and give players a local place to enjoy their sport.
News in Brief: Payson Seymour Athletic Club Pickleball Courts
Payson will soon open two new pickleball courts near the high school baseball field. The Payson Seymour Athletic Club raised about $14,000 to fund the project. The courts will be ready in August and open for all community members to use.
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