Dill Dinkers Madison Draws Crowds: Dill Dinkers Madison, the city’s first indoor pickleball facility, opened its doors Thursday at 5004 Tradewinds Parkway. The grand opening drew players from Madison and nearby towns like DeForest and Janesville, highlighting the growing popularity of pickleball in the area.
A Growing Sport and Busy Opening Day
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, and the turnout at Dill Dinkers Madison showed why. Damon Colella, co-owner of Dill Dinkers, said the facility was creating 10 to 15 new visitor accounts every hour, bringing hundreds of new members through the doors.
Players Travel Far and Enjoy the New Space
Some players came from outside Madison to check out the new courts. Colella said,
“We’ve always heard that people are willing to drive 45 minutes for good pickleball… and people are willing to travel as far as we hoped they would.”
Lucy Manzetti and Sam Piontek chose to spend a date night playing pickleball instead of going to the movies. Manzetti said,
“I think it’s super nice, I mean we haven’t had this big of a facility before I don’t think, like ever, that has been so close to Madison.”
She added that they look forward to playing year-round indoors.
“It’s really fun. It’s a great thing to do to hang out,” Manzetti said.
Community and Connection Are Key
Colella’s goal is to bring people together through pickleball.
“Whether they are dating and are playing on a date or just meet up with some friends on a Friday night, pickleball is really for everybody and we are trying to embrace that,” he explained.
He said Thursday’s strong turnout reassured him that Madison was the right place for this business.
“It’s exactly the kind of business that we wanted to get into. It’s a reminder that we got into the right business at the right place with the right people,” said Colella.
Dill Dinkers Madison is offering free open play until August 13, but players must register online to reserve courts.
News in Brief: Dill Dinkers Madison Draws Crowds
Dill Dinkers Madison opened its first indoor pickleball courts on Thursday. The new facility at 5004 Tradewinds Parkway attracted players from Madison and nearby towns. Co-owner Damon Colella said hundreds of new members signed up on opening day. Free play is available until August 13 with online registration.
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