The Biggest Pickleball Party in the World

If you happen to be as big of a sports fan as I am, chances are you’ve been to a wide variety of spectacular professional sports events throughout your life. I have attended football, baseball, basketball and hockey games, as well as going to golf tournaments, NASCAR, Indy car and Formula One racing events. But of all the wide variety of professional sporting venues I have experienced, nothing compares to the festival feeling of the Minto U. S. Open Pickleball Championships, that were held at East Naples Community Park, aka, The Pickleball Capital of the World, from April 22nd through May 1st.

Admission to the general grounds and all 59 of the courts (except for the Zing Zang Championship Court) is free. There are matches of all levels of competition (including pro level), which provide an opportunity to watch some of the world’s top ranked professional pickleball players from a court side front row seat. If you arrive early, onsite parking is available, once that fills up, one of the friendly and cheerful volunteer parking attendants will direct you to nearby Sugden Park, from where you will be transported in a shuttle van back to the tournament site. Parking is only $5, and all proceeds go to the Kiwanis club.

Rusty Howes and his great team of commentators at Pickleballchannel.com. provided both live and taped streaming coverage of all matches on the Zing Zang Championship Court throughout the week of the tournament. Match coverage from the Pickleball Channel was also shown on the giant vision screen located on the patio viewing area located behind the new pro shop/welcome center located between what are the 3.0 and the 4.0 player level banks of courts.

There were several food and drink vendors along with food trucks offering a wide variety of yummy foods and beverages, and many companies were represented under the vendors tents, providing insight and information on everything from paddles, to shoes, to sunglasses, as well as a variety of sports related equipment and merchandise all available for purchase.

Live entertainment from local musicians like Billy Bridger added to the atmosphere of fun.

So, if you are new to the sport of pickleball, or new to the Naples area and missed this year’s “Open,” mark your calendar for next year and come experience the festival feel at the biggest pickleball party in the world, held at the pickleball capital of the world.

Wayne Clark is a professional tennis instructor with over 25 years’ experience coaching players on all levels of the game. Wayne is also qualified in pickleball instruction and is on staff as an instructor with The Naples Pickleball Center and Training Academy at East Naples Community Park. Contact Coach Wayne by email at coachwayneclark@aol.com, or by or by phone or text at 239-450-6161.