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Date: 7/13/2022
SOUTH HADLEY – The long-awaited pickleball court has been installed, and fundraising efforts are still ongoing as volunteers work to get the project over the finish line.
Donations are still being accepted for benches and lights that will be installed at the courts by mid-summer. They can be sent to the Friends of Buttery Brook Park, P.O. Box 868, South Hadley, MA 01075.
Kim Prough, the lead on fundraising for this project, said plans for the installation of pickleball courts have been in the works along side the rise in popularity for the sport. She credited Recreation Director Andy Rogers for getting the ball rolling before the COVID-19 pandemic by bringing together those interested in bringing a pickleball court to the town for discussions on how to get it done.
Prough had just picked up the sport a year prior and had found a new activity to be a great option for outdoor activity, and felt there was an opportunity to bring the sport to the community. She added that from her work with the seniors, she knows members of that population are avid pickleball players.
“The majority of people playing pickleball are the senior aged population. However, one of the things that really attracts me to the sport is the fact that it’s so inclusive,” Prough said.
Prough added that a main goal in the town’s Master Plan is to improve connections for all including those with varied abilities, something the sport of pickleball allows. Pickleball is a racket/paddle sport that combines elements of other similar sports, and the game is played on a court similar to one in tennis but with much smaller dimensions and different rules.
“Pickleball really helps to support creating a thriving community by providing a welcoming, inclusive activity that essentially brings people together of all ages and all abilities,” Prough said. “Which is always so amazing to me, you can have 80-year-olds playing with a 17-year-old and having a great time with the sport.”
Prough said she got involved in the project because she believes “wholeheartedly” that the courts will be an asset to the community and help bring those within it together.
Fundraising kicked off after a $25,000 donation from PeoplesBank to help volunteers get started on planning and implementing the ideal courts for South Hadley. Construction estimates early on were about $50,000, but as time has passed, volunteers involved in fundraising have realized it will be closer to a $100,000 project by completion.
The second business to get involved in fundraising was Private Financial Design, a financial planning company in South Hadley, and its owner Andrew Beaudry. Beaudry called the project “brilliant” and is happy to support the project and bringing a great addition to the South Hadley community.
“Community is built by creating opportunity for people to experience life together, with many paths for folks to discover common bonds and goals. Thankfully, the creation and addition of pickleball courts comes from citizens moved to volunteer their time and resources so that another healthy and vibrant lifestyle option is available for South Hadley,” Beaudry said.
Eventually jumping on board as well in fundraising efforts were the Friends of Buttery Brook Park, where the court is being installed, as did the Friends of the South Hadley Seniors group.
Prough added they have received donations anywhere from $15 to $20,000 from local businesses or residents and that she is very grateful for the community support to make the courts a reality.
The decision to get the courts within Buttery Brook Park was also part of larger town efforts to help revitalize the park.
“What’s fabulous is you know, the park has a spray park, it’s got a lot of activities for young kids and now this brings a new dimension to the park which is super exciting, particularly for the Friends of the Buttery Brook Park,” Prough said. “They were so happy to support this project because of that opportunity to bring a new population to the park.”
Prough added they have already raised over $97,000.
The courts are expected to be opened by the end of July and will make open and scheduled set play times available for the community. Outside of the set hours that will be made for community play, it will be a first come first serve basis for use of the courts. Prough added they hope to have clinics available in the future as well to invite those unfamiliar with the sport an opportunity to play and learn.
Interested residents can go to the South Hadley Pickleball Facebook page for more information and to get connected to the project, or they can reach out to southhadleypickleball@gmail.com.
Prough expressed gratitude for being able to work on this project and is excited to see the positive impacts that will follow once the courts are fully completed for all ages in South Hadley.
“I like to be involved in projects that bring community together and I feel that we don’t have enough opportunities to do that. It’s really exciting and I can’t wait to see the number of people that are going to come out and use it and also introduce the sport to people who haven’t played it in this community,” Prough said. “It’s been really exciting to be part of a project where there’s been so much community support and enthusiasm around this project.”