Pickleball discussion was a break from the business as normal at the last city council meeting. Angela McBride presented some information about Pickleball, the courts, and the community.

Pickleball was made the official sport of Washington state in 2022. The game was invented in Washington in 1965 on Bainbridge Island. As of right now, Deer Park does not have any purpose-built Pickleball courts. However, that may soon change. You can watch the whole meeting in the video below.

During a meeting led by Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Billy Costello, pickleball courts were the most prominent topic discussed. Anglea McBride spoke about the qualities of the sport saying, “It has an intrinsic value of fun and friendliness and you don’t find that in other sports…” McBride has created a Facebook group for Deer Park pickleball players, which is available at:  DPGazette.com/fbpickleball.

During a recent survey about the ongoing splash pad project, pickleball came up as a popular additional request. Councilmember Jason Upchurch expressed that any costs related to pickleball courts should not come out of the splash pad budget. No official action has been taken by the city council to create pickleball courts in Deer Park, although research has begun to determine costs and possible placement. 

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