MARYVILLE - Maryville’s two new Pickleball courts were officially opened with an official ribbon cutting, hosted by the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce, on Monday, May 10, at Drost Park.
Maryville Mayor Craig Short, Trustee Julie Clark, Superintendent Matt Hoffman, Parks and Rec Committee Chair Sharon Petty and members Bob Hunter, Andrea Molkenbur, Mike Spillers, Tom Fitzgerald, Peg Raffety, Colleen Seiffert, plus numerous Pickleball enthusiasts were present to celebrate the event.
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Petty said she had met the originator of the game at an Illinois State teachers’ convention and they brought the game back to Edwardsville High School P.E. classes over 40 years ago. But about 5 years ago a Maryville resident, Bev McCormack, came to a Parks & Rec Committee meeting and proposed Maryville build a court or two in one of our Parks. With that, the Committee obtained a grant for a net and paddles and had a court lined off in a village cul-de-sac.
For two years, committee members Bob Hunter and Sharon Petty would literally “hold court” a couple days a week over the summer and offer the opportunity to learn the game. Approximately 30-35 people over the course of that time learned the game and many began playing in Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, and Troy.
Mayor Short and the Trustees, who have always been supportive, said unfortunately, the wheels of government work slowly and it took time to obtain the needed grant money to build the courts. But they were built properly and will be an asset to the Village and local communities.
Pickleball has become an extremely popular sport for both adults and youngsters. It is a combination of tennis, badminton and ping pong. Many communities have built courts, and it is not unusual for winter resorts to have 24 to 30 courts to meet the needs of “winter snowbirds”.
The courts are located on the east side of Drost Park, just off the MCT School House Trail. You can access them during daylight hours from E. Main and Parkview Drive entrance to Drost Park.
For additional information, please e-mail Maryville Park and Rec Chair, Sharon Petty, at pettysm@charter.net.
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