A new petition to bring more pickleball courts to the Bronx is raising the stakes in the ongoing battle between pickleball and tennis players.
Led by a group of passionate local players, the petition calls for more dedicated courts at Orchard Beach and for converting some of the existing tennis courts at Pelham Bay Park into pickleball courts.
“What joy would that bring the neighborhood,” Mary Ann Berrios, the organizer of the petition and Orchard Beach pickleball player, said.
For the past three years, pickleball has been the fastest expanding sport in America, growing an unprecedented 223.5% in the last three years, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.
Bronx pickleballer Emilio Malave has seen first-hand how the sport has spread throughout all five boroughs.
Three years ago, Malave took his first swing at the sport at Wollman Rink in Central Park, before taking his game uptown to the then-empty courts at Orchard Beach to practice his serves. Before long, other Bronx ballers started to come to the courts to play. In June 2023, Malave started an Orchard Beach Pickleball group to organize regular play, which has ballooned to over 300 members. On a typical day, the courts alongside the Long Island Sound are filled with 25 to 30 players of all ages and backgrounds.
“We don’t discriminate. Anyone that comes, wants to play, whether beginner, expert, whatever, we welcome everyone with open arms,” Malave said.
Malave emphasized that the game's social nature is a key reason for its appeal, and keeps Bronxites returning to the courts, day after day.
The Orchard Beach pickleballers are “all ages, all colors, all creeds,” Malave said. “Very inclusive group, just the type of folks we are.”
Currently, Orchard Beach has two dedicated pickleball courts, and two handball courts that the group will sometimes use as temporary courts. The courts fill up fast - leaving many waiting to play, and in want of better courts.
“They aren’t the nicest of courts but we make do,” Malave said.
“There’s like cracks in them. We just work around it, I guess. This is what we have - we’re from the Bronx, and so we know how to adapt to things,” he said.
Pelham Bay Park currently has no pickleball courts. Berrios’ petition calls to have five of the 10 tennis courts, that she says are “hardly used,” converted to 10 pickleball courts.
With the park's accessibility and free parking, Berrios believes it would be an ideal location for city-run tournaments, which could generate revenue.
"The city can run tournaments that could bring in revenue," she said.
Malave added that the courts would be a benefit to the Pelham Bay neighborhood, where "kids could just walk in and play."
As the city finalizes an $87 million transformation for Orchard Beach to improve conditions and attract tourists, Berrios is urging officials to consider pickleball as a major draw for tourists and residents.
“A lot of towns and communities are spending millions or thousands of dollars to bring pickleball to their communities, because they know it has many health as well as many economic benefits as well,” she said.