Let’s Not Become a “No Compromise” Community

While I applaud the enthusiasm over pickleball at the Marco Island Racquet Center, I am also amazed by the zeal toward wanting to cancel out tennis. (Full disclosure, I am a tennis member of the Marco Island Racquet Center.) Yes, pickleball is new and popular. It has a large number of players. However, there are still other sports being played with the same passion and enthusiasm in our community. (Maybe not as LOUD, ha!)

It is obvious in a thriving community such as Marco Island, 100% of everyone’s favorite pastimes cannot be fully funded. Frankly, I am continually amazed by the variety of activities (boat/people parades, music, arts, and many others) accessible on our small oasis island. This is where compromise must be key.

Currently, there are three main facilities where both pickleball and tennis players play (this does not include private condo courts). On Marco, the YMCA has 14 pickleball courts, (five covered/nine open courts) and eight tennis courts. The Marco Island Racquet Center has nine pickleball courts, plus an additional eight courts, fully funded and scheduled to convert from tennis to pickleball by summer 2024. This will leave four tennis courts at the Racquet Center. At the East Naples Community Center Park, 15.4 miles from Marco, there are 64 pickleball courts and eight tennis courts.

Yes, pickleball is new, fun, social, and a very popular sport. However, we still love tennis as a popular and social sport. On Marco Island shouldn’t there be room for both? Four tennis courts remaining at the Racquet Center does not seem an unreasonable compromise.

As we age, keeping active is very important toward “aging gracefully.” We each a need to keep both physically and socially active. Funds are always tight when it comes to balancing community dollars. Let’s avoid an “only my way” approach; compromise, and we’ll actively age gracefully together!