Try pickleball with free kits from the Fort Worth Public Library

Try pickleball with free kits from the Fort Worth Public Library

Published on September 04, 2024

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickleball players, he'd have a large group to pick from!

Aspiring pickleball players can try out the sport using free kits from the Fort Worth Public Library. The kits come in either singles (two paddles) or doubles (four paddle), along with balls, a net, instructions, a map of Fort Worth pickleball courts and a bag to keep it all together.

Pickleball continues to grow in popularity among causal players and serious picklers. The Association of Pickleball Professionals estimates that 48.3 million adult Americans played pickleball at least once in the previous 12 months, based on 2023 data.

The Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department conducted its first pickleball tournament in June at the Haws Athletic Center.

Robbie Samuel, athletic coordinator at Haws, called the debut pickleball tournament a tremendous success, drawing participants ranging in age from 13 to 72 - 40 in total balanced between beginners and seasoned players.

"The primary goal of the tournament wasn't just about winning but about bringing the community together and ensuring everyone had a great time," he said, giving credit to tournament organizers Sonya Rodriguez and Elizabeth Hernandez. "Pickleball is very popular here. We typically host free play sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Friday mornings, averaging 15-20 participants each day."

Get articles like this in your inbox.Subscribe to City News.

Tagged as:

• Library