GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's the distinct sound of pickleballs bouncing off of paddles that make the courts and area of Belknap Park unique.
"I'd say it's pretty easy to pick up and it's such a good workout too," said pickleball player Ali Cook.
And it's the competition and comradery that make groups like these fill up all 21 of Belknap's pickleball courts every night.
"A lot of people were getting into it, my friends, my friends moms were getting into it so I kind of wanted to see what all of the hype was about," said Baily Fathauer.
"It's super exciting and a fun way to stay active with your friends and it's super easy to pick up," said Kennedy Thelen.
The Pickleball craze that is sweeping the nation has made cities across the country, including West Michigan, build courts for players.
However, in Walker, the sound of pickleball matches being played at City Central Park have caused neighbors to complain, the city later closed the tennis courts for the time being.
"Of course, we wanted to accommodate folks with social distancing and doing healthy activities to get them outdoors," said Walker's Communications Manager Nicole DiDonato. "And so we transformed one of our tennis courts into a pickleball court that's obviously very popular. Unfortunately, the location of it, we didn't realize at the time caused a little bit of a disturbance."
DiDonato adds they are planning to add six dedicated pickleball courts, but are still trying to decide on a location.
Brandon Mackie is the Co-founder of the website Pickleheads, which helps players find everything they need to know about the sport in their area.
While Mackie understands some of the hesitation neighbors may have.
"I think they're valid concerns," said Mackie. "But I do think there's a lot that's being done to alleviate that we're seeing soundproof acoustic equipment being installed."
"I think Cities, governments, and decision makers need to make a calculated decision, which is saying: is the nuisance of pickleball, if there is one, outweighed by the positive benefits that it brings to communities getting 100 people out on the court being active meeting each other? And I think when they look at it that way, the answer, it's a no brainer."
He said there is a reason why it's one of the hottest sports around.
"I've never taken someone out to the courts who didn't have a good time," said Mackie. "It has this really easy and gentle learning curve, it's a ton of fun, it's social."
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