ROCKFORD, Mich. — West Michigan's growing pickleball scene has a new home. Twenty new courts at the Meijer Sports Complex in Rockford open Friday, the latest sign of the region's expanding identity in the sport.
The courts, valued at $60,000 each, are part of a nearly $2 million addition to the 80-acre complex, which was recently renovated. The facility is managed by the West Michigan Sports Commission.
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"This is going to be an elite facility in the Midwest, not just in West Michigan," said Brent Deuel, president of the Rockford Pickleball Club.
The complex includes a championship court designed to accommodate spectators with the ability to bring in bleachers on both sides.
The courts are built to last. Deuel said the contractor described the construction's durability in striking terms.
"The contractor told me they could literally come in here with a helicopter, lift it up and carry it away. It'll stay together. And they said there's like 30,000 pounds of pressure. It's more durable. It keeps it together. It's not supposed to crack. So literally, the maintenance on the concrete is very little," Deuel said.
The addition aims to attract national tournaments, with some already in the works. Deuel said the facility is designed to be more than just a place to play.
"The thing that just wows me is this big area here where people can come hang out, watch, be a community. With pickleball, everyone's acceptable," Deuel said.
While the courts are open to the public, the Meijer Sports Complex is a private facility owned and operated by the West Michigan Sports Commission. When tournaments are being played on other fields at the complex, there would be a charge to play pickleball. The Rockford Pickleball Club encourages membership, which includes a pass and other perks.
The new courts are part of a broader pickleball boom in West Michigan. Belknap Park is hosting professional teams and nationally televised coverage this summer on FOX 17, and a newly created youth pickleball league has also launched in the area.
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