Silver Lake Pickleball Court’s: The Silver Lake pickleball courts in Athol are set to receive a major facelift starting Monday, July 29. This $18,000 project marks a significant investment in local pickleball infrastructure, driven by the sport’s surging popularity, which now boasts over 36.5 million players across the U.S., according to Pickleheads.
MA Sealcoating, LLC of Oxford will handle the resurfacing. The company, known for its work on basketball and pickleball courts, will begin by cleaning and prepping the surface before embarking on a week-long project to revitalize the courts. “They’re coming in Monday to start the project, and it’s going to be about a week-long project,” Matt King, a member of both the Open Space and Recreation Commission and the Silver Lake Pickleball Association (SLPA), said. “They’ll start by cleaning everything off, getting the surface prepped and ready.”
The upgrade will address damage caused when the courts were previously used as a skate park, including filling divots left by removed screws and bolts. The resurfacing process will involve a two-part application with a textured, multi-colored finish. “They’ll fill in a bunch of the divots that have been left by the skate park – screws and bolts that have been pulled out and caused some divots in the concrete,” King explained. “Then they’ll do what I believe is a two-part resurfacing, with a textured surface in three different colors on the court.”
King, who joined the pickleball community two years ago, noted the growing local interest in the sport. “I was told that there was a group of pickleball players down at Silver Lake Park, and they were bringing in temporary nets,” he said. “We were borrowing nets and going down with four, six, eight people and we were playing a couple of days a week.”
As enthusiasm for pickleball grew, the Silver Lake Pickleball Association was formed to enhance the condition of the courts and boost community participation. King highlighted the collaborative effort behind the project, noting that the Athol-Orange Area Rotary Club has pledged $10,000, with an additional $5,000 from the Department of Public Works’ budget. The remaining funds are the result of SLPA’s fundraising efforts.
SLPA Chair Tim Burgess anticipates a ribbon-cutting ceremony in late August. In addition to the Rotary Club and the Town of Athol, local businesses have supported the project, including Athol Savings Bank, Burgess Bookkeeping Solutions, and Gardner Franco American Federal Credit Union, among others. Burgess also encouraged further donations, which can be sent to the Silver Lake Pickleball Association, c/o Sharon Burgess, 721 Lennox Street, Athol 01331.
News in Brief: Silver Lake Pickleball Court’s
Athol’s Silver Lake pickleball courts are set for a significant $18,000 upgrade starting Monday, July 29. MA Sealcoating, LLC will resurface the three courts to address damage from previous skate park use, including patching divots and applying a multi-colored textured finish. The project, driven by growing local interest in pickleball, benefits from $10,000 from the Athol-Orange Area Rotary Club, $5,000 from the Department of Public Works, and additional funds raised by the Silver Lake Pickleball Association (SLPA). A ribbon-cutting is planned for late August. Local businesses and individuals have also contributed to the funding.
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