Pickleball Slammer a Soaring Success

For those who drove by the YMCA campus last weekend you may have been amazed by the number of cars which were parked around the property. That’s how many folks came out for the inaugural 2023 Marco Island Police Foundation Pickleball Slammer.

The event was a fundraiser for the local Foundation which supports local law enforcement officers and their families in times of need. According to Michael Hook, incoming President of the Marco Island Police Foundation, the event was a great success as they had over 160 players registered for the event and a huge gallery in support of their favorite players.

There were men’s flights as well as women's flights on Saturday. Players returned on Sunday and saw mixed flight divisions.

Hook and this year’s Foundation President, Vern Geberth, both praised the organizational skills of the staff from Paradise Pickleball who assisted them in organizing the event. “They certainly were outstanding contributors in making this a success,” said Geberth.

Hook also complimented the staff at the YMCA. “The facilities here were just outstanding and they couldn’t be easier to work with,” he said.

The explosion in the popularity of pickleball has seen its growth amongst a wide age range of both women and men in the United States as well as within the State of Florida and here on the island. Approximately 360 individuals have signed up with the Marco Parks and Recreation Department to use those public courts with a waiting list of over 160 individuals and more clamoring to join every day. The city of Marco is dealing with the pressure being brought by residents to expand the availability of courts given the rise in popularity of the sport. In the United States today it is estimated there are over 37 million pickleball players, amongst them some very recognizable professional athletes in basketball, football and golf.

For this weekend, it was all fun and games supporting a great cause.