WILLSBORO — Rebecca Palmer fell in love with pickleball three years ago.
So much so that she decided to share her newfound love for the sport, which features many elements of tennis, ping-pong and badminton, with others and open the North Country’s only pro surfaced, indoor cushioned pickleball court in her hometown of Willsboro at 3926 New York State Route 22 in November of 2020.
“I had very spontaneously purchased a 4,600-square-foot building in Willsboro between the bowling alley and the drugstore. I thought it was going to be indoor storage,” Palmer said.
“My dad and I were in the process of renovating it, and one afternoon … the question that popped into my mind was ‘would a pickleball court fit in this space?’”
After taking some measurements, Palmer realized that, sure enough, it would.
COULD EXPAND
There was even enough room for two courts.
“So, down the road, there certainly is room for expansion for another pickleball court, but right now, one is good,” she said.
The cushioned court, she said, has been perfect for the pickleball’s usual age group of 50 to 80 year olds.
“I’m really glad that I paid the extra money for the cushion part, because people just love it,” Palmer said.
“And it’s easier on the knees.”
PANDEMIC OPENING
The timing of opening her pickleball court in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic had made it so it was strictly membership-only to start out.
Doing this allowed Palmer to easily implement safety and health precautions, like scheduling members 15 minutes apart so they never had to come in contact with one another, which made them feel more at ease.
“At that time … there was really no public place to play pickleball,” Palmer said.
“So for people to be able to play in their own pod, (where) they felt safe and comfortable, and then for me scheduling them 15 minutes apart … they loved it. I told people, ‘if you want to play pickleball with all the doors and the windows open and the heat on — go for it — whatever you feel safe with.’
“It has been well received and supported. We have members from E’town (Elizabethtown) and Westport to Plattsburgh and Peru.”
OPEN PLAY
Now, with COVID seemingly in the rearview mirror, Palmer has recently expanded beyond her private membership offerings to allow, what she calls, open play for $10 a session.
Open play allows anyone — member or non-member — to have the ability to schedule a time during the week they would like to use the court. Members, obviously, get to schedule their times beforehand, so some time slots may not be available.
One of the benefits of open play is Palmer’s ability to partner a solo player up with someone of their skill level.
“I serve as a matchmaker, so to speak,” she joked. “It just felt like ‘OK, everybody’s feeling good, everybody’s feeling comfortable now (to do this).”
“During open play, you’re coming in and you’re playing with somebody you might not know, but people are feeling more comfortable now, so that’s why I waited so long to open this up vs. doing (only) private membership.”
HOURS AND SCHEDULING
The court is open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. everyday for scheduling purposes, but Palmer said she is willing to accommodate beyond that if need be.
Those who are interested in participating in open play can reach Palmer at the Facebook page, Willsboro Pickleball, or the businesses’ phone number at 518-572-6893.
Along with the new offering of open play, Palmer has partnered with SUNY Plattsburgh to allow caregivers to come in and enjoy some time at the court.
How it works is that SUNY Plattsburgh pays for caregivers in their program to come in and play pickleball, usually on a Monday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., as an outlet from their usual responsibilities.
Palmer said when the college had first reached out to her about partnering, she immediately loved the idea, because her own grandmother had been in the caregiver program there and participated in many of the activities they had offered.
“People who are caregiving for their loved ones that have Alzheimer’s, moms who have a child with autism, caregivers of their spouses who have cancer,” Palmer said, listing some examples. “Just to get out and do something for themselves and put the oxygen mask on, so to speak … and have fun and camaraderie, there’s a lot of laughter in pickleball.”
“It’s just amazing.”