Pickleball for All Ages by Dick Manasseri

Where do Senior, Adult, and Junior Pickleball Players Meet?

Park and Recreation Department Facilities and Programs!

This is the focused message that we presented to the Michigan Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA) Convention attendees in Dearborn, MI last week.

We set up a Pickleball court in the presentation room and got the program managers to experience the game themselves as well as to understand the opportunity before them to become the centerpiece for Pickleball programs in their communities.

The message is simple and direct:

• Pickleball is exploding in the senior community
• Pickleball in the schools is being rejuvenated as a potential lifetime sport by PE teachers that are now playing the game themselves
• What's missing are the facilities and programs for All Ages play
  o Outside facilities (Parks)
  o After-school programs for teens
  o Mixed generation programs
  o Adult programs

We presented the models for successful Recreation Center programs with the help of recreation professionals from Troy, Madison Heights, Sterling Heights, Independence Twp, Oak Park, etc. We described the no-cost partnership that is available to them to work with USAPA Ambassadors and Members in their areas to make their new programs successful. The handouts we provided included the contact information for our MI Ambassadors.

We distributed and reviewed a step-by-step
USAPA Guide for Starting a Successful Parks and Recreation Pickleball Program
http://usapa.org/file/mi/MRPA_Guide.pdf

This Guide was developed with the assistance of USAPA Members Jenny Martin and Amy Kessler who know from their careers as Recreation professionals what their peers are seeking in terms of a Getting Started manual.

We have received several requests to deliver beginner's demo/clinics as way to jump start new programs. We have email addresses for the attendees and we committed to keeping them informed regarding upcoming activities including our plans for Michigan State Pickleball Games for all ages.

Please contact me if you have any questions or comments regarding the Guide or any other topic related to growing the game for all ages via Park and Recreation Department programs.

Dick Manasseri
USAPA Great Lakes Regional Ambassador
dmanasseri@usapa.org