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Pickleball heads indoors for the winter Pickleball heads indoors for the winter

By Joseph Puccio

A pickleball sits on an indoor court at the Elevate Fitness in Liverpool, New York.
© 2023 Joseph Puccio

Liam Griffin (anchor): Pickleball is one of America’s most popular sports, rapidly ascending amongst people of all ages. Will this popularity last throughout the cold winter months? And to seniors? Joe Puccio details how balls and drop shots are now year-round occurrences in central New York.

Joe Puccio: As wind and chilly temperatures rise in Central New York this winter. Pickleball courts that have looked like this. Will all of a sudden look like this. The ever-growing sport is headed indoors for the winter, which makes Syracuse residents Derek Fine and Michael Henty static.

Michael Henty: I think it’s awesome. I think it just involves people who continue to do it all year round and I think it’s a great thing.

Yeah, I’d love to continue playing in the winter. Indoor courts definitely help. It is nice to have the outdoor court availability because nobody is here. But yes, definitely as it starts to get cold, it’ll be nice to have it required availability.

JP: CNY Pickleball has listed over 20 indoor courts around the area for anyone to go to during the winter, barring any memberships. Now, as you can already tell behind me, these courts here in Liverpool and around central New York are a smashing success heading into the winter.

Brook Bregman: When I started playing, I believe there were under a thousand people or maybe around a thousand people, and there it is. And now I think we have about 3500 according to our database and things like that.

JP: Brook Bregman is a USA Pickleball ambassador who hopes that permanent facilities make their way to central New York soon.

BB: We do have more dedicated indoor facilities like those that in Baldwinsville, and we’re hopefully within the next year and people will be able to have the extended time.

MH: It’s a very social sport and it’s just great to have so many people involved in physical activity.

JP: Reporting in Syracuse, Joe Puccio, NCC News.

LIVERPOOL, N. Y. (NCC News)  – The winter months are on the horizon. Seems as if pickleball players have to wait until next summer to pick up the paddle again…or do they?

Indoor pickleball courts are a mainstay in Syracuse.  According to CNY Pickleball, there are 28 indoor pickleball courts for local players to sharpen their skills at during the winter. From Newark to Cazenovia, and Oswego to Cortland, the availability of indoor courts has garnered local excitement.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Michael Henty, a Syracuse resident and pickleball player at Onondaga Lake State Park. “I think it just allows people to do it all year round and I think it’s a great thing.”

Henty has played pickleball for roughly two years. Syracuse resident Derek Fein, on the other hand, has only played for a few weeks.

“Yeah, I’m hoping to continue playing during the winter,” said Fein. “[It’s] definitely nice that there will be indoor courts. This time, it’s nice to have the outdoor court availability because nobody is here, but as it starts to get colder, it’s nice to have indoor court availability.”

Gyms are laying down the tape due to the sport’s rising popularity.

“When I started playing, I believe there were under a thousand people or around a thousand people playing in Syracuse, but now I think we have 35-hundred according to our database and things like that,” said Brook Bregman, an administrator for CNY Pickleball.

“It’s a very social sport and it’s great to have so many people involved in the physical activity,” said Henty.

Bregman hopes that in the near future, there will be pickleball-specific courts built around the area.

“When we do have more dedicated indoor facilities like the ones that are opening up in Baldwinsville and in Dewitt, hopefully within the next year, then people will have the correct conditions all the time,” said Bregman.

For the skilled players out there, don’t fret about transitioning indoors.

“It’s very similar,” said Bregman. “You just at least get to get used to not having wind and sun, so it should be even easier to play inside.”

 

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