Pickleball Courts at Brooklyn Bridge Park, credit to Brooklyn Bridge Park

One sport that has been gaining a lot of traction in recent years, particularly in Brooklyn, is pickleball. The game bears some resemblance to tennis, but features paddles instead of rackets, and plastic balls with less bounce than conventional tennis balls.

The game can be played with either singles or doubles, and indoors or outdoors. It is relatively simple for beginners to learn and understand, but can still hold the interest of more advanced players by being strategic and competitive. What makes it unique is that there is a non-volley zone, which is also referred to as “The Kitchen,” where players must let the ball bounce before returning the ball back over while being in that area.

Amelia Costigan, a player of the game who is closely involved in the scene, talks about how pickleball has grown in popularity in Brooklyn.

“The pickleball community has exploded. The age range is from 14-78, and probably older. And some say it’s the new dating app where singles meet,” she said.

Costigan also talked about how the friendliness of the game and wide range of ability makes it unique, suggesting that the opportunity to meet new people and affordability of the game draws people to it.

“You don’t need to find a group to go play. You can show up, put your paddle down on the appropriate court and enjoy.”

Eric Palillero organizes the pickleball scene at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 2 in Brooklyn Heights, and is so involved with the pickleball community that many started calling him “Mr. Mayor” because of his leadership.

“I started playing pickleball in May of 2020, and during that time there were only 2 well known places to play: J.J. Carty in Bay Ridge and Leif Ericson in Sunset Park. Now in 2024, there are various locations in Brooklyn to play, whether it’s permanent net courts or bring-your-own,” he said.

Palillero also talks about the accessibility of the game, stating “Anyone can come and join in if the courts are public. At Pier 2, I made it our mission to always allow all players regardless of who you are or your skill level; everyone is welcome.”

Costigan shared some concerns over the monetization of the sport, such as new clubs opening and court fees increasing, but Palillero remains optimistic.

“What I see for the pickleball community in the future is to have more people advocate for the creation of more courts since there are still “pickleball deserts.” For example, there are barely any courts in the eastern part of Brooklyn, such as Canarsie and Brownsville,” he said.

The Sports and Fitness Industry Association found pickleball to be the fastest-growing sport in the United States for the past three years in a row, and Brooklyn’s pickleball community is certainly demonstrative of that.