the trends

Pfannenstiel

Pickleball has become incredibly popular, and this trend is only anticipated to continue. Due to its convenience and fun-loving approach, the sport has grown in popularity among people of all ages and skill levels and is widespread in local areas all over the globe. According to the 2023 APP Pickleball Participation Report, 14% of Americans 18+ played pickleball between August 2021 - August 2022. That equals 36.5 million pickleball players!

Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum, created pickleball in the middle of the 1960s as a way to entertain their families on a quiet summer day. In order to create a game that could be played on a smaller court with lighter paddles and a wiffle ball, they blended aspects of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. The end result was a game that was simple to learn, had little impact, and was a great time.

Known to be easier than tennis, pickleball’s popularity began to skyrocket in the 1990s when it was introduced into retirement communities and quickly became a well-liked pastime activity for active seniors. The activity has gained even more popularity recently and now attracts players of all ages.

How is this game easier than tennis? New players can quickly pick up the fundamentals and begin playing because the sport is simple to master. Beginners don’t find it daunting because of the smaller court (you can almost fit four pickleball courts inside one tennis court) and slower-moving ball.

Players of all ages and fitness levels will find it to be a great alternative to tennis because of the game’s moderate impact.

Moreover, pickleball paddles are lighter than traditional tennis rackets, which may be hefty and awkward to hold. The game’s tempo and rules can be modified by players to make it more or less difficult, permitting the sport to be tailored to different skill levels.

According to Paddletek.com, there are ten simple rules that everyone should learn before their first match:

• Volley serves must be underhand

• Scoring in doubles includes three sets of numbers

• Sides alternate serving in doubles

• There’s a method to remove the advantage of serving first in doubles

• The ball must bounce once per side after the serve

• Volleying isn’t allowed within the kitchen (7 feet on either side of the net)

• Rallies are commonly lost in three ways: outof-bounds balls, the ball bouncing twice on a side before being hit, and kitchen violations

• Only the serving team can score points

• Games are commonly played to 11, but sometimes 15 or 21

• Games must be won by a margin of 2 points

Pickleball is frequently played in doubles, allowing players to connect with friends or family while having fun. The game can be played inside as well as out, on a variety of surfaces. Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation currently offers 10 outdoor courts and 18 indoor courts. Most recently, LSPR added two courts to Osage Trails park and another at Pleasant Lea Park. For our court schedule and more information, visit our website at LSParks.net.

Many people think of parks as passive places of relaxation or fun, not being tech-savvy. However, LSPR has an internal Tech Team consisting of professional staff from administration, recreation and parks with a mission to research and establish technological advancements for Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation board, staff and community.

This year, the Tech team received feedback from the Park Board, patron comments from surveys and ideas from the annual staff retreat. Priorities were set, and the team got to work. One of their first tasks was establishing a user-friendly experience for those accessing classes, facilities, or parks online.

If you have visited lsparks.net recently, you may have noticed some changes. Our website went through a major revamp at the beginning of the year. Our Tech Team spent over 18 months researching and creating a new user-friendly website that is visually appealing on any mobile device. One goal was to allow patrons the ability to make reservations or buy passes from the comfort of their homes rather than visiting one of our facilities.

The team worked hard with the city’s Information Technology department to remove barriers and streamline the process, improving the efficiency of registering for any class, league or event. Their commitment to a shared goal and connection to a shared mission is what you see now when you log onto www.lsparks.net.

A second item the team rolled out this year is an asset management software program called Beehive. This program provides analytical data support allowing staff to streamline and prioritize safety concerns and needs. One example is addressing vandalism. This system tracks the frequency of issues, repair costs and time. It is also a useful tool to assist in prioritizing park employees’ work days and daily tasks when vandalism occurs.