Latest news with #ValparaisoParks
Chicago Tribune
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Valparaiso Parks unveils ValPlayso pickleball courts as among first of 2025 parks upgrades
While reviewing a previous 2020-21 Valparaiso Parks 'masterplan and resident research study,' Kevin Nuppnau, director of the Valparaiso Parks Department, noticed the word 'pickleball' didn't appear anywhere in the documents or among the park patron requests for upgrades. 'I've been in my director role for two years now, and before that, five years with the department,' Nuppnau said Monday while unveiling six new pickleball courts joining the ValPlayso park landscape. 'Pickleball wasn't a term we really heard until about three years ago.' What was previously a greenspace devoted to T-ball is now the six-court sprawl devoted to this popular paddle, net and court sport called pickleball, included in the $25 million recent enhancement plan for the existing park landscapes in the city-funded by the rePLAY initiative. The public ground-breaking ceremony was April 15 at ValPlayso Park at the intersection of Glendale Boulevard and Roosevelt Road. 'This project came in at around $500,000 and it was finished about a week ahead of schedule, which is wonderful,' Nuppnau said. 'It was more than just a construction effort, but also consideration and engineering for proper drainage.' Following a ribbon cutting and opening remarks from Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas Monday morning, more than 200 park revelers, including eager pickleball enthusiasts, swarmed the fenced courts adorned with green 'seed dotted' pickle-design balloon archways and borders. 'I liked that Mayor Costas inaugurated the courts with the first paddle hit,' said Lance Werner, 57, of LaPorte. 'In about two weeks, LaPorte is about to open our eight new pickleball courts, too. I wanted to come out to see what the Valparaiso design looks like. I love that each court here was created with its own paddle racks to make it easy to keep track of your racket from home. Our LaPorte mayor, Tom Dermody, plays pickleball. I'm going to suggest these two mayors have a pickleball playoff.' Molly Brust, 30, of Valparaiso, brought her paddles to play a 20-minute session against her pal Karley Wajda, 24, of LaPorte. 'It's great exercise for me since I started playing pickleball nearly two years ago,' Brust said. 'Pickleball also creates a nice sense of community, too. These new courts are spaced just right to provide the opportunity for some shared space to talk and meet other people playing.' In recent years, the Valparaiso Parks Department has converted low-traffic former basketball and tennis hard-surface outdoor courts into pickleball courts at Bicentennial Park, 175 Burlington Beach Road, Tower Park at 1000 Franklin St., and Kirchhoff Park at 400 Roosevelt Road. The Valparaiso YMCA at 1201 Cumberland has three indoor pickleball courts. The sport can be played with single players or double teams and uses a low net and lined boundary courts with paddles swatting an aerated, light, plastic, bright yellow, green or orange ball, like a Wiffle ball. The game score goes up 11 points, with the winner needing to win by two points, making it similar to tennis scoring. Pickleball enthusiast Linda Rodenbarger of Valparaiso also spoke during the opening remarks at Monday's ribbon cutting. 'The timing is so ideal for these new courts to open just as the pickleball courts at Kirchoff Park will now close for that park's renovations,' said Rodenbarger, who has helped coordinate pickleball teams and competition tiers using an app called TeamReach. 'I knew nothing about pickleball until about two years ago, while in Florida, when I was told about it and gave it a try. I came home to Valparaiso and started telling others about pickleball. It's a sport that has a great sense of community, and it's great for all ages.' Parks included in the rePLAY initiative are Kirchhoff Park, Fairgrounds Park, Tower Park, ValPlayso, Foundation Meadows Park, Rogers Lakewood Park, Ogden Botanical Gardens, Glenrose South Park, Will Park and Banta Park. 'The rePLAY initiative is a direct result of ongoing public input and our comprehensive Parks Master Plan,' Nuppnau said. 'This initiative will not only improve our existing parks but also ensure they continue to serve as vital community gathering places.' Nuppnau said the rePLAY initiative is funded using the bond proceeds that were originally earmarked for the proposed sports park, shelved last year because of the excessive cost, to now put the bond funding to immediate use for long-term benefits. To learn more about the rePLAY initiative and stay updated on project timelines and community engagement opportunities, visit
Chicago Tribune
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Active Kids Day in Valparaiso offers musical instruments and fun for kids, resources for parents
Downtown Valparaiso's Central Park Plaza was full of families with young children enjoying Active Kids Day Sunday, sponsored by the Valparaiso Parks Department. Vendors lined the plaza with hands-on activities, musical instruments, and information for parents on different programs. The event was planned to encourage kids to get involved and be active. All day long there were demonstrations of kid-centric activities and on-site registrations for camps, clinics, sports, and lessons. 'We really lucked out with the weather,' said Tyler Ingram, the new special events coordinator for Valparaiso Parks. 'It's a beautiful day and we have great attendance.' 'Our free events are not possible without our sponsors, and we have great vendors that are staples at a lot of our events,' said Ingram. 'We are hoping that those here today take a look at all the parks has to offer with our different programs, day camps, and pathways and trails. Danielle Reed, of Chesterton, attended the event with her daughter Savannah and a friend. 'So far, the kids are liking the bouncy house and all the hands-on activities and the gymnastics,' said Reed. 'They got to touch different types of fur at the Gabis Arboretum booth and they really liked that.' 'I'm here taking in everything,' said Reed. 'There are amazing businesses here that I never even knew existed.' 'I think this is great because it gives everyone a chance to see what some of the vendors have to offer,' said Tiffany Hoefler, of Valparaiso, who attended Active Kids Day with her two children. 'There are a lot of camps and different activities that I may be able to get my kids involved in.' Adrienne Weaver, of Westville, is an instructor at Innovative Music & Arts Studio in Valparaiso. She and the studio's owner, Kim Dale, were giving demonstrations with a DJ for kids to get involved and try rhythm instruments. 'We have drums and other instruments that kids can try today, and we want them to get their interest started at a young age,' said Weaver, who teaches strings and piano. Dana Gibson is the practice manager for Associated Pediatricians, who has been a vendor at this event for several years. Their practice had over 20 people working shifts throughout the day at their booth. 'At the practice, we pride ourselves on encouraging kids to be active and healthy,' said Gibson. 'This community event supports exactly what we want our patients to do.' Only 20-28% of children ages 6-17 meet the daily physical activity recommendation of 60 minutes and that number has decreased since 2016, and that physical activity declines with age, according to the Physical Activity Alliance, which is the nation's largest coalition dedicated to advancing regular participation in physical activity. Valpo Parks offers summer programs for kids at Discovery Cottage and Discovery Day Camp at Rogers Lakewood, including youth programs and special events throughout the summer. For more information, visit
