The new pickleball courts at Ray Ellerbrook Field officially opened on July 26.
Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis
NORTHAMPTON — New pickleball courts have finally opened at Ray Ellerbrook Field after a launch party on July 26 and excitement is high across the city for this latest addition.
The project to get these courts in for the community came from a partnership between the city and the Friends of Northampton Pickleball. There are six new outdoor courts in total.
“We’re finally here. It’s been a long wait for a lot of people. There are a lot of local players who have been playing here, there and everywhere, in towns all over,” Friends of Northampton Pickleball President Mike Brezsnyak told Reminder Publishing. “Look Park has had five courts that are overlaid on their tennis courts, but there’s been some structural problems, so the usage has gone down over time. People are driving to Westfield, going to Hampshire College, going to South Hadley, Holyoke, all over to play, and have really been looking forward to getting back and having our local courts.”
All courts have been designed with accessibility in mind, including ADA-compliant pathways from parking areas, accessible seating and clear sightlines. The facility layout will create an inclusive environment where players of all physical abilities can participate fully in the sport.
One of the six courts was built sized for play with people with mobility access issues. The 44- by 74-foot court will specifically be designed to accommodate wheelchair players and those with other mobility challenges. In doing so, this court will feature wider clearance areas, enhanced access points and appropriate surfacing to ensure true inclusive play.
“This project in particular has tried to incorporate community from the very beginning of the project. There’s been this dream that folks have had about having what may be the first wheelchair tournament in Massachusetts,” said Brezsnyak, hinting toward the potential uses for the new courts in the future.
Brezsnyak added with the new courts, the Friends of Northampton Pickleball and the city will be working collaboratively in establishing a schedule for the park’s usage. He said “Try Pickleball” sessions for new players will begin, taking place every Monday at 6 p.m., as well as Thursdays at 3 p.m., on courts 5 and 6.
There will also be between 10-20 hours a week committed to open play time where any players of any skill can come and utilize the court. Future plans also include tournaments. Brezsnyak said the open play time is the backbone of pickleball communities.
“During these set times, anyone can drop in — across ability and skill levels — and that’s how people kind of learn the game, from playing with people with a range of skill levels,” he added.
The new pickleball courts schedule is being finalized and will eventually be posted on the city website as well as the Friends of Northampton Pickleball website. You can also visit the Friends of Northampton Pickleball Facebook page for updates and more information.
The history of the new pickleball courts development started back in 2022 when the city first contracted with Berkshire Design Inc. to conduct a feasibility study for the courts. Following the study, community meetings were hosted to gather input on the final site selection regarding elements like amenities and fencing.
Friends of Northampton Pickleball conducted a community survey based on the feasibility study and submitted community comments to Parks and Recreation. In early fall 2023, the Ellerbrook site was selected, at which point the city contracted Professional Design Services for landscape architecture, civil engineer and surveying services with Berkshire Design Inc.
The Parks and Recreation Department and the city’s Office of Planning and Sustainability applied for a Community Preservation Fund grant to build the court and its amenities. In December 2023, the Community Preservation Committee voted to approve $350,000 in funding to build pickleball courts at Ray Ellerbrook Field Park. The City Council subsequently approved the funding.
Since the 2023 approval of funding, Friends of Northampton Pickleball have been engaged in fundraising efforts to go along with the other funding in order to help get the project to the finish line. To date, they have raised just over $60,000 and donated $50,000 of the funds to the city in a fund restricted for the building of pickleball courts.
“The response that we got from mostly the local player base saw people stepping up to make sure this happened, and the city really did a great job of getting this out to bid very quickly last summer,” said Brezsnyak.
There will be another phase of this project as the focus will shift to building the additional amenities, which will include shade structures, benches and water access.
“This has been a challenging couple of years coming out of the pandemic. I think the explosion of pickleball, really across the country, was related to people wanting to get outside and finding ways to reconnect and be together out in open air,” said Brezsnyak. “I also think that our world is so digitally mediated these days and people are looking for ways to connect in person. Physical activity provides just such a great way to do that because it is in person, it’s engaged, it’s active. The pickleball community has really embraced that community piece in terms of being welcoming to new players, really inclusive in terms of finding ways to have everyone participate the way they can.”
Brezsnyak said he is thrilled to be opening the new courts through this community collaboration and hopes players of all skills and experience come by to have fun and mingle amongst the community.
“We are looking forward to taking this next big step in our pickleball journey together. Pickleball, I think for myself, I reflect on what a great community this is. I have met so many interesting, kind, nice people through pickleball. I know a lot of people have had similar experiences. It’s really nice to be able to just connect with people around this joyful activity where people are trying to stay healthy, have fun and be connected,” said Brezsnyak. “There’s a stereotype about pickleball that it’s an older folk’s sport. But we see this incredible range from kids to some of my favorite players are in their late 80s. You go down to South Hadley on a Friday night and there’s music playing, a bunch of people having a blast. We’re looking to develop some of that in Northampton.”
