The future site of eight new pickleball courts on the southwest portion of Independence Park.
Waylon O’Donnell | Daily Journal
Pickleball players will soon have more places to hit the court.
Independence Park in White River Township is set to receive a significant upgrade with the addition of eight pickleball courts, a first for Johnson County parks.
Ron West, a Johnson County Commissioner and certified pickleball referee, said the courts are being built to meet the growing interest in the sport. He cited several examples of local pickleball courts that are consistently busy, often with parties waiting for their turn to play.
“There is a lot of demand,” said West. “We don’t have any pickleball courts at any of our county facilities, and White River Township has a tremendous amount of players. Every year, pickleball is growing leaps and bounds and the sport has been experiencing a 30 to 40% growth nationally every year.”
The project, estimated at around $350,000 and funded through a General Obligation, or GO, bond, is expected to feature eight courts divided into four on each side, with a covered aisle down the middle to provide shade and a picnic area. Plans also include expanding the parking lot to accommodate the anticipated increase in park visitors, said West.
“Pickleball continues to be very popular and continues to grow,” said Kevin Leonard, superintendent of Johnson County Parks and Recreation. “Independence Park is already a very popular park, and being able to offer that new amenity in our parks is exciting for us.”
The engineering design for the pickleball courts is being handled by Crossroads Engineers. While some details may still be subject to change, county officials hope to complete the project and open the courts to the public later this year, said West.
West said the sport is so popular partly because it is a mild exercise that people of most abilities can do. Not just adults, the sport is also rising in popularity among youth players as well, with many schools including the sport in their physical education programs, which has created more demand, West said.
“The thing with pickleball is that it is fun and accommodating for most everybody — the young, the old, men, women,” said West. “It is mild exercise. I’ve been playing for 6 or 7 years and I’d hate to think of what shape I’d be in if pickleball didn’t come into my life.”
The Independence Park project will add to the county’s growing inventory of pickleball courts. Currently, there are outdoor courts in Greenwood’s Craig Park, Franklin’s Youngs Creek Park and Community Park, and Bargersville’s Kephart Park. There’s also Drop Shot, a 24-hour indoor pickleball court in Franklin.
The city of Greenwood has also announced plans to build 16 pickleball courts in Freedom Park.
