Pickleball!

Have you heard about the fastest growing sport in the country – pickleball!

Pickleball is a fun sport that incorporates elements from tennis, badminton and ping-pong for a fast, social game for everyone. The rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players.

And Tampa Bay residents love pickleball. There are more than 60 public pickleball courts in the 3-county Tampa Bay area. So let's learn about the game and where you can try it out.

The basics: Pickleball is played both indoors and outdoors on a badminton-sized court or a slightly modified tennis net. It is played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes. It can be played as doubles or singles and can be enjoyed by all ages and skill levels.

And celebrities and athletes are definately enjoying pickleball. Seven-time Super Bowl champion and Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Tom Brady recently became part of an ownership group for a Major League Pickleball expansion team. Other owners: former tennis pro Kim Clijsters, NBA’s LeBron James and former NFL quarterback Drew Brees. With names like that you know the sport is growing.

Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, Washington by three dads whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities. The game is growing across the US and Canada as well as many European and Asian countries.

In 2021 and 2022 the sport was named the fastest growing sport in the United States by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, with over 4.8 million players. There are now thousands of pickleball tournaments throughout the United States, including the US National Championships and the U.S. Open Tournament, along with two professional tours and one professional league.

The pro league, which was founded in 2021, will expand from its current 12 teams to 16 in 2023, as well as double its annual events to six. MLP said prize money is expected to surpass $2 million next season.

The known places to play pickleball total of 6,885 at the end of 2018 represented an increase of approximately 85 new locations per month according to placestoplay.org.

Want to test your knowledge of pickleball? Check out this fun trivia quiz

Floridians are fortunate to be able to play indoors or outdoors year-round and there are lots of places to play around the Tampa Bay area. 

The city of Tampa has more than 10 outdoor and indoor pickleball courts at select locations. Hillsborough County has more than 20 outdoor and indoor courts. Pasco County has a handful of courts as does Pinellas County.

So grab a paddle and learn to play. In fact some Hillsborough County locations offer free or discounted lessons. Learn more here

City of Tampa pickleball courts

Most outdoor parks are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Outdoors

Cuscaden Park

Copeland Park

Foster Park

Madison Street Park

Rowlett Park

Skyview Park

Julian B Lane Riverfront Park

Indoors

David M Barksdale Center

Dr MLK Jr Complex

Forest Hills Community Center

Port of Tampa Community Center

Loretta Ingrsham Center

Cordelia B Hunt Center

Hillsborough County pickleball courts

Locations marked with an asterisk (*) have pickleball-only courts. All other locations are dual-purpose courts set up to play pickleball or tennis. Residents wishing to play on the indoor courts will need to purchase a Wellness Access Pass for $10/month.

Outdoors

Apollo Beach Park

Bloomingdale East Park*

Bloomingdale West Park

Chandler Park

Fawnridge Park

Heather Lakes Park

Keystone Park*

North Brandon Sports Complex

Northlakes Sports Complex*

Nye Park

Roy Haynes Park

Skyway Sports Complex

Town ‘N Country Park*

Villa Rosa Park

Woodlake Park

Indoors

Emanuel P. Johnson Recreation Center

Gardenville Recreation Center

Jackson Spring Recreation Center

Lesley "Les" Miller Jr. All People's Community Park & Life Center

Northdale Recreation Center

Ruskin Recreation Center

University Area Community Complex

Westchase Recreation Center

Pasco County pickleball courts

SVB Center in Zephyrhills

YMCA in Zephyrhills

The Armory in Dade City

Wesley Chapel District Park

Land O Lakes Rec Center

J Ben Harrill Rec Center in Holiday

Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel

Pinellas County pickleball courts

Broderick Rec Center, Pinellas Park

Safety Harbor Community Center

Forbes Rec Center, Pinellas Park

Southwest Recreation Complex in Largo

Seminole Rec Center

Highland Recreation Center

St. Pete Pickleball Courts

Outdoor

Crescent Lake Park

Brooker Creek Park

Coquina Key Sports Complex

Fossil Park Sports Complex

Northwest Sports Complex

Walter Fuller Sports Complex

Indoors

Campbell Park Recreation Center

Childs Park Recreation Center

Frank Pierce Recreation Center

Gladden Park Recreation Center

J.W Cate Recreation Center

Lake Vista Recreation Center

Roberts Recreation Center

Thomas "Jet" Jackson Recreation Center

Walter Fuller Recreation Center

Willis S. Johns Recreation