It seems Pickleball League Play, Tournaments, and Round Robin events are taking over the sport courts in the mornings. Encore and BCCA HOA paying members who enjoy this sport as “exercise and fun” are often pushed off several courts as a result of these events. We have approached the Pickleball Club Executive Committee either by email, or by phone, or speaking personally to a committee officer and have been informed by them that Kuester is approving and allowing these events.
Are you aware that these many events are causing issues for HOA paying residents? How will you approach this ongoing problem?
From Celia Kenney | Middleton
Candidate Answers:
- Kate Bice: I am not aware of the issues described here at the sports courts. As with all our amenities, there needs to be balance between what is reserved for events and what is left open for the rest of the community to enjoy. We have been able to find middle ground compromises with the swim team using lap lanes for practice and the pool for meets. I would expect that similar arrangements can be made with the sports courts and events held there.
- Bob Lijana: I am open to suggestions on how to improve the process by which residents are informed about events, and on how to ensure equal access to our amenities.
- Liz Rolison: In the interest of full disclosure, I am an active Pickleball player, a member of the Briar Chapel Pickleball Club and have participated in league teams that play on Briar Chapel courts. I believe there are ways to allow social play and competitive play to co-exist. I have several suggestions for how to make this work more smoothly:
- Ensure that the Tennis / Pickleball court schedules include dedicated courts for social play or open play at all times.
- Limit league play on designated courts only for home games (1/2 the league schedule) and ensure these dates/times are communicated by management to the full community.
- Over time and within budget, increase the availability of courts. We have plans to resurface the courts after the 2024 season and will add lines to make another multi-purpose court on Court 3. Long term we have tentative plans to add additional courts.
- Tom Speer: Pickleball is certainly popular. I walk my dog around the courts almost everyday in the early morning the courts are full. The league organizers and players have the responsibility to play and leave time for residents. Exclusive use is approved by the Board and users are permitted for narrow time slots and should be posted. For example, the barracudas swim team has exclusive use of the competition pool during approved swim meets, and they have use of a few lanes for practices early in the morning but must leave some lanes free for the SAYOR swimmers. They have worked hard to accommodate the residents while the board has demonstrated support for our youth activities by approving barracudas swim team use in a manner that lessons impact to each.
- William Weitz: The sports courts should have equal access to all residents. I am not aware of the issues or pickleball use in general. I would like to hear more about the issue to see how I could help.