New Pickleball Courts Could Be Coming To Morristown

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Pickleball fans, rejoice! Morristown may soon have brand-new pickleball courts for the community to enjoy.

According to the agenda for the Oct. 10 town council meeting, the council will vote on adopting a resolution awarding a contract to Green Valley Group, Inc. for the construction of new pickleball courts.

The three new courts will be constructed at Lidgerwood Park, which is located at Lidgerwood Parkway and James Street. The park currently has a total of four tennis courts, two of which are lined for pickleball usage.

One of the tennis courts at Lidgerwood Park would be converted into three pickleball courts as part of this new project, which would include crack repair, removal of existing net posts and anchors, a new chain link fence, and an acrylic-colored sports flooring system with striping.

According to the agenda, the base bid price for the project is $98,470 and will be funded from existing capital funds.

If you've never played pickleball, here's a quick primer for those who are curious.

5 Things You Should Know About Pickleball:

1. It was created in 1965 by three fathers. They were on an island near Seattle and wanted to keep their kids entertained. They discovered an old badminton court and improvised with ping pong paddles, creating simple rules.
2. The game combines tennis, badminton, and ping-pong by requiring players to hit a Wiffle-type ball back and forth over a net. The game begins with an underhand serve.
3. Because the court is smaller than tennis, it's easy for all ages to play, either as doubles or singles. "Because the playing surface is about one-fourth the size of a tennis court," says the L.A. Times," there’s little ground to cover, especially in doubles. The sport is so physically forgiving that it’s unremarkable to see a gray-haired pair put a beating on their teenage grandkids."
4. After a serve, the ball must bounce once on each side of the net. There is a "no man's land" 7 feet from either side of the net, from which you aren't allowed to volley. And a pickleball is lighter than a tennis ball, so it doesn't bounce as high.
5. The rules are uncomplicated. Here's a video for beginners on how to play.

Lidgerwood Park is also home to a playground, one baseball field, 1 softball field and a basketball court. Earlier this summer, a group of local kids spoke with Mayor Tim Dougherty and town administrator Jillian Barrick about bringing a sand volleyball court to Lidgerwood Park.

Mila Elms, a sophomore at Morristown High School, stated that considering the growing popularity of volleyball amongst men and women, the town should consider going forward with the build.

"Another thing for the council to know is that there are at least six public basketball courts here in Morristown but zero volleyball courts. We are not asking for six; we are just asking for one," Elms said.