Group seeks to establish pickleball courts

With an estimated 19.8 million people playing in the U.S. in 2024, pickleball has been named the fastest growing sport, according to Sport and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). The number represents a 45.8 percent increase from 2023.

Pickleball is a paddle sport played on a court that combines the elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. The court is much smaller than a traditional tennis court and uses a wiffle ball instead of a tennis ball. The naming is said to be inspired by the term “pickle boat” in rowing, which is a team composed of leftover or less-experienced rowers.

Pickleball has grown in popularity and adoption so quickly due to it being considered low-impact in terms of exercise. The sport is also easier on the body and joints, is easy-to-learn, and is inclusive to all ages. Some other helpful elements include the equipment being affordable and people playing it for the socialization aspects. “Pickleball is something that you can play and learn in five minutes,” said Kathy Kallunki of the Rainier Pickleball Court Project Group.” An 80-year-old can play with a 10-year-old. Anybody can play it.”

The Rainier Pickleball Court Project Group is working with United Way of Columbia County, which is serving as the 501(c) (3) backbone agency in this community-driven initiative. “No United Way of Columbia County donor dollars are being spent on this project, but we want to support an incredible group of individuals making their community a better place,” said United Way of Columbia County Executive Director Claire Catt. “United Way of Columbia County's vision is where all in Columbia County have an opportunity to thrive… Investing in accessible recreation opportunities is just one way to do that. This project speaks across ages and ability levels to connect citizens in Rainier in a low-cost recreational opportunity. We hope that after completion, this is a space for physical activity and social connections.”

With enhanced outdoor spaces, United Way of Columbia County envisions additional tourism to the area as well as increased use of the public park, a sentiment echoed by Ron Schlumpberger and Kallunki, two group members spearheading the project.

“Probably seven years ago, a group of us got together and we turned VanderCook [courts in Longview] into pickleball courts,” said Kallunki. “We painted lines and we took up donations. The City of Longview helped pay for that so that we could resurface all that, and then we put permanent lines on that court there and we had a lock box we could put four nets there. So that started it, and then it got so busy and everybody was using it so much. Then when COVID hit, we started playing in Rainier.”

The group approached the City of Rainier in 2024 about turning the courts in Rainier City Park into permanent Pickleball courts, which the city supported, offering one of the two courts to be converted into four courts. However, it’s not as simple as stringing up nets and playing. Converting the courts requires cosmetic construction that comes at a cost.

The budget forecast for the court conversion is near $40,000, a portion of which has already been raised thanks to initial donations from Fibre Federal and Longview-based Healthcare Foundation totaling $5,000 and $10,000 respectively. Healthcare Foundation is a local, public nonprofit organization with a mission to “promote the physical and mental health and healthcare of the people living within the service area of Longview.”

The goal with the dedicated courts is to provide additional options for people from all over to come to Rainier to play. “You'll have people coming from Beaverton to Chehalis all the way from Battleground,” said Schlumpberger. “What it will bring to the community is the social aspect of bringing people together.”

When asked what they love about pickleball, Kalluki said, “ My goal would be to also get the fire department and the police department involved with it because they have to have so much cardiovascular in their fitness day. In Longview, the fire departments are there almost every day, so I thought it'd be kind of cool to get Rainier involved in that and maybe have some competitions, some round robins, or something like that.”

The group still needs to raise an additional $25,000 and is looking for a title sponsor.. “There's so much more that we can do,” said Kalluki. “We can get lock boxes, wind screens, and equipment to dry the courts to keep those courts maintained. It's going to be a really good community asset. It's great for all and not for one group or the other, it's for all, We're doing it for the community.”

For more info, contact Coordinator Ron Schlumpberger at 503-396-6786.