Indoor Pickleball Comes to Suffield

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Photo by Johanne Presser
Players enjoy a round of pickleball at the new Suffield Pickleball facility.

Aided by the generous offer of free play by the owners, players young and old came from far and wide in droves to the Grand Opening weekend of Suffield Pickleball, the new indoor pickleball facility on 15 Kenny Roberts Memorial Drive (right off Route 75) in the Suffield Industrial Park. Beginning at noon on Friday, January 3 until 9 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., pickleball enthusiasts kept the place hopping with all five courts being played on continuously throughout the weekend. New owner Scott Murdock reported that the opening was “wild, with every session booked and some with wait lists!” Adding to the fun and festive atmosphere, there were free raffles for membership and pickleball paddle, as well as numerous smaller items and tee shirts all with the Suffield Pickleball logo on them that were free for the taking.

Owners Katie and Bo Fydenkevez, also known as “Pickleball Bo” for his love and knowledge of the game, as well as Scott and Kelly Murdock, are all Suffield residents. Bo’s cousin Dan Laing and his wife Jen Dziedzic-Laing round out the investor group. They were all on hand throughout the weekend to give tours, explain the game and answer questions.

The idea to open a facility came about, reported Fydenkevez, when he and his cousin were lamenting the lack of a place to play when the weather turned. They got together with their wives and the Murdocks and decided to open a facility of their own. “We’re all really passionate about pickleball and excited to have this in the Suffield community” said Bo. They had searched for properties elsewhere but lucked out when an opportunity presented itself in Suffield.

The facility is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week. Although one doesn’t have to join to play there, regular players will find economic advantages to being a member. While anyone can rent a court for an hour at the rate of $50, 75% of the court time will be devoted to “open play”, a concept that is used by many indoor facilities to facilitate player involvement and spirited play. With open play, you don’t have to round up three friends to get a court. A court will be available for a two-hour chunk of time and up to six players of like ability will be placed on it. There will be courts assigned for beginners, intermediate and advanced players.

At present there are two membership tiers. The Premier membership is $800 per year or if you choose to pay monthly, $80 per month. This entitles you to eight open play sessions per month as well as 25% off court rental and 10% off leagues and clinics. Should you want to play more than the eight open play sessions included in your membership, additional ones would be 50% off or $10 for the two hours. The Pro membership is $400 per year or $40 per month and entitles you to four open play sessions as well as the 10% off clinics and leagues. Non members can participate in open play sessions at the rate of $20 for two hours.

The facility aims to be full service with a pro shop and certified instructors Katie Fydenkevez and Bob Degray already available to give clinics and individual lessons.

According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association’s annual participation report, pickleball continues to be America’s fastest growing sport for the third year in a row, ith an estimated 4.8 million people playing.

The game was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by three middle aged dads, in an attempt to entertain their restless kids on vacation. The name was in honor of the family dog, Pickles.

It’s a fun game that is easy to learn and played by either two or four players using a smooth wooden or composite paddle to hit a plastic wiffle-like ball over a 34-inch-high net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. It is said to be a cross between tennis, badminton and ping pong. The 44’ by 20’ court is striped similar to a tennis court with right and left service areas and a 7-foot nonvolley area referred to as the “kitchen” on either side of the net. The first team to reach a score of 11 wins provided it is by two over the other team.

With the sports rapid growth, we are fortunate to have this opportunity to play right here in Suffield. For further information go to www.Suffieldpickleball.com or check it out on facebook or Instagram.

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