Latest news with #ValparaisoYMCA
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
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Valparaiso Parks ready for more pickleball with $10 million upgrades, joining growing fascination with court sport
When Kevin Nuppnau, director of the Valparaiso Parks Department, began planning the use of funds for an ambitious $25 million 'enhancement' for the existing park landscapes in the city, he discovered a surge of interest for the paddle, net and court sport pickleball. 'Pickleball is a rapidly growing sport,' Nuppnau said. 'And the addition of new courts, funded by the rePLAY initiative, reflects our commitment to providing diverse and accessible recreational amenities for our community. We are thrilled to move forward with this project and bring these much-anticipated pickleball courts to ValPlayso Park.' The public is invited to a groundbreaking ceremony at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 at ValPlayso Park at the intersection of Glendale Boulevard and Roosevelt Road. 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. Nuppnau described the excitement about the launch of this week's project as 'a highly anticipated upgrade for ValPlayso Park' for the arrival of six new outdoor pickleball courts. 'Pickleball's incredible popularity as the fastest-growing sport, coupled with the strong public input we received, underscores the importance of this project,' Nuppnau said. 'We are grateful to be bringing a first-class pickleball experience to residents and visitors.' One of the first indoor pickleball courts in Northwest Indiana came in September 2021 with the launch of Pickle Time pickleball courts at 10960 Delaware Parkway in Crown Point. 'Pickleball has been around since 1965,' said Jennifer Hall, who co-owns Pickle Time with her husband, Larry. 'Larry first learned about pickleball while working in Florida in 2020 during the NBA bubble time for about four months during the pandemic. He learned to play it and brought the idea home to me.' 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. 'Once people start, they just want to keep playing it,' Hall said. 'It's great exercise, low impact, and it's as competitive as you want it to be.' In November 2024, Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott held a ribbon cutting for 12 new indoor pickleball courts at the Jean Shepherd Community Center at 3031 Mahoney Drive in Hammond. The new Hammond YMCA, 6532 Indianapolis Boulevard, which also opened in November 2023, has three indoor courts. Next month, St. John will begin construction on outdoor pickleball courts added to Gates of St. John Park at 10201 Park Place. Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas believes the new pickleball courts will also draw visitors from neighboring communities to utilize the new play space. 'Over the past decade, it's been rewarding to add offerings like the Flounder and Friends Skatepark, Creekside Trails, ValPAWraiso Dog Park and more,' Costas said. 'But we've never lost sight of the timeless parks we grew up loving. The rePLAY initiative ensures our existing parks remain cherished gathering places for generations to come.' 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 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
