Pickle flavored food and drinks were served and staff at Wind Crest, the senior living community in Highlands Ranch, dressed up in pickle costumes for the grand opening of four outdoor pickleball courts.
As pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S., the idea of courts of their own has been on some residents and staff’s radar for some time and on Oct. 27, it became a reality.
Years ago, Wind Crest staff had chosen a potential location for the new pickleball courts, but it was too close to some of the buildings and some residents raised concerns about the noise and echo.
Looking elsewhere, they ended up designing courts near the front entrance of Wind Crest, which is located at 3235 Mill Vista Rd.
“We did the initial design and presented it to the pickleball club,” said Craig Erickson, executive director at Wind Crest. “They said, ‘no, no, no’, the courts are facing the wrong way.”
After the team resubmitted a design with a north-south orientation, four courts were constructed, opened and had residents playing immediately.
Just within the front entrance of the campus, the courts are about 170 feet from the edge of the court to the apartments, said Erickson.
Typically, the pickleball club at Wind Crest has reserved time and plays outdoors at Clement Park in Littleton and indoors at Arapahoe Community College.
Therefore, the accessibility of having four courts on site, available for any of the residents to play and learn is an accomplishment for Wind Crest.
“It’s a game changer,” said Fred Clift, who leads the community’s pickleball club. “Because now we can walk to our courts.”
Although many residents walk and ride their bikes to the court, there is a campus shuttle that takes residents back and forth from the courts.
Both Erickson and Clift do not believe the noise is going to be an issue as there are some noise barriers, such as the courts being near the front road, covered parking and trees to help mitigate the sound. They also noted that there are no resident balconies facing the courts.
There may have been initial concerns about the noise, but Clift said there have been no complaints thus far.
Additionally, the club is excited to have their own courts as they have seen courts being closed at Congress Park and Eisenhower Park in Denver due to the noise complaints.
The courts are strictly for residents. However, guests are allowed to play when invited by a resident.
As it is not as intense as tennis, Erickson said pickleball is creating physical activity for residents and is also a very social sport.
“You have these points that go back and forth,” said Erickson. “And most any game, people are laughing, and you know, having fun and talking about things.”
Clift is a former tennis player and began playing pickleball about 10 years ago. He said what he likes most about the sport is that it’s very good for fitness and cardio.
Currently, club members play from 9 to 11 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. They also host beginner and education courses that teach people about technique and how to score.
Having played himself, Erickson said it’s pretty easy to mix in more advanced players with beginners and still have a good time.
Wind Crest also purchased a bunch of paddles and balls so that any resident who wants to try, can try before investing.
Looking forward to the spring, the club is looking to have a membership along with social events, tournaments and a mentor committee that will help new players start and improve on new skills.
“As we age, it’s really good for people to keep moving and this will get you moving on the court,” said Clift.