Seabeck pickleball courts become a popular attraction in the community
Last summer, the Seabeck Community Center began the process of revamping its tennis courts after a community member approached them with an interesting idea.
In 2020, Paul Riemer saw the courts in disrepair and pitched to the center to turn them into pickleball courts. The community center loved the idea. Together Reimer and the community center gathered support for the cause.
In 2022, the Port of Bremerton donated $50,000 to help get the repairs underway. Construction started in July, and the Seabeck Community Center announced that the pickleball courts were open to the public that September.
Pickleball is a paddle sport reminiscent of a combination of badminton, tennis, and ping pong, which is where the sport finds its roots. According to USA Pickleball, three Bainbridge Island dads invented the sport in 1965 after replacing some missing badminton racquets with ping pong paddles. By 1976 the first Pickleball Tournament was held in Tukwila, WA. By 1990, pickleball had reached all 50 states.
The passion for pickleball is still strong here in Washington. The Westsound Pickleball Community, a group of 600+ members, holds local tournaments, the next being September 1st in Bremerton. The group is dedicated to advocating for the sport and growing its availability throughout Kitsap.
Since the 2022 opening, pickleball has become popular throughout and beyond the Seabeck community, with people coming to play from as far as Gig Harbor. A Seabeck Pickleball Facebook group was created to help community members set up partners for games. The page now boasts over 300 members.
Port Commissioner President Axel Strakeljahn, a supporter of the pickleball courts, said he is “stunned by how popular they had become.” He was thrilled by the community’s response and hopes to see pickleball grow even more throughout the community.
With the Pickleball fever taking over the Seabeck community, the community center is hoping to add a picnic area around the courts this year.