Clovis Senior Center Pickleball Controversy: A group of dancers in Clovis raised concerns at a City Council meeting, saying pickleball courts at the Clovis Senior Activity Center are damaging their dancefloor. The floor is used by both dancers and pickleball players, but the setup has led to frustration and even the resignation of a dance instructor.
Complaints About the Tape
Dancer Debbie Graber said the problem began two weeks ago when the group found blue painter’s tape on the floor marking pickleball court lines.
“We came into the beautiful room with a beautiful floor, and there was blue painter’s tape all over the floor outlining a pickleball court,” Graber said. “When you slide, when you dance, the tape stops your foot, it rolls up. It’s sticky. It’s leaving residue. It’s ruining the floor.”
Students of dance instructor Jim Ray said he resigned soon after the tape was placed on the floor. They called him patient, wonderful, and someone who will be deeply missed.
Split Opinions
During the City Council meeting, one resident said, “Pickleball is a fad. Ballroom has been around for a long time and it’s not going to go away.”
Pickleball player Tina Quillen also said the setup was not ideal.
“When I first walked in, I went, ‘Oh, this is not good,’” Quillen said. “There wasn’t enough room to really put a full-size court in there.”
She added that while the air conditioning was helpful, the room was too small for comfortable play.
City Response
The City of Clovis issued a statement saying it is working on a solution.
“In the short term, we’ll be painting permanent lines on the floor of our Community Center’s multi-purpose room to replace the painter’s tape,” officials said.
They also said that, in the long term, upgrades to the flooring at the Clovis Senior Activity Center are being considered to make the space better for dancers.
Looking Ahead
The conflict highlights the challenges of sharing community spaces. With pickleball growing in popularity and ballroom dancing remaining a long-time tradition, the city faces the task of balancing both groups’ needs. The coming changes to the facility may help ease tensions, but the debate is far from over.
News in Brief: Clovis Senior Center Pickleball Controversy
Dancers in Clovis say pickleball courts are damaging their floor at the Clovis Senior Activity Center. Complaints about tape on the floor led to instructor Jim Ray’s resignation. The City of Clovis plans to replace the tape with painted lines and explore long-term flooring upgrades to support both activities.