Pickleball: Investing in Recreation for Everyone

Pickleball is now a sport played ball all ages and it continues to grow in popularity.

Sometimes the best conversations about our community happen when you least expect them.

Recently, I was at a softball tournament a few counties away when one of our Charles County residents approached me. We started talking about recreation, and he brought up pickleball and the condition and availability of places to play here in Charles County.

It was a good reminder that recreation is not just about our children and youth sports. Our county is here to serve residents of all ages.

Pickleball has become incredibly popular because it brings together people from different generations and provides a great way to stay active, socialize, and enjoy our parks and recreational facilities.

As we plan new parks and improve existing ones, I believe we need to make pickleball courts part of that conversation. That means incorporating additional courts into future park plans while also properly maintaining and improving the courts and facilities we already have.

Investing in recreation means creating opportunities for everyone, from our youngest residents to our seniors. Our parks should reflect the needs of the entire community.

And sometimes, improving our county starts with something as simple as listening when a resident stops you at a softball tournament and says, "Hey, what about pickleball?"