Pickleballers thrilled with new complex

Pickleball players could hardly contain their enthusiasm as the new $5 million, 26-court pickleball facility at the J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex opened for play Monday.

"It is absolutely fantastic. It is a long time in coming," said 68-year-old David Nolen, a member of the growing pickleball community in Wilson. "We are going to have a good time out here."

Trip Rodgers, a pickleballer from Rocky Mount, called the facility "a dream come true for pickleball players."

"There are plenty of courts, so people can come out and know that they are going to get to play how much ever they want to play," Rodgers said.

Jordan Phillips, athletics supervisor for Wilson Parks and Recreation, said more than 60 players tried out the courts on the first day.

The facility features a 23,800-square-foot steel shelter covering eight courts and a $2,800-square-foot building with backrooms, offices, a conference room and concession stand. Two championship courts have stadium seating.

"We have multiple courts all centrally located around a building and a huge shelter that is really exciting for us," Phillips said. "All of our courts are lit; we have LED lighting on all of our courts, so we will be able to play into the night if we need to."

David Lee, parks and recreation director for the city of Wilson, said the city has anticipated the opening for a while.

"We are very proud of the facility, obviously. We are proud of our pickleball players and what it means to them," Lee said. "We have been keeping up with them and working with them for the last three or four years when they were playing over at Rotary (Park)."

Lee said it's "just another piece of the puzzle with our recreation facilities."

"It just shows that our leaders believe in the Wilson people and they listen to them," Lee said. "They knew that if it wouldn't have been this popular, this would never have been here. Another piece of it is that we are going to bring big tournaments to town and bring people to Wilson and show off Wilson. We are pretty good at that already with baseball and soccer and other events, and this will be just another area that we can bring in more people to Wilson. It should be really good."

PICKLEBALL POPULARITY

The sport's popularity has spread far and wide in the last decade.

"It's the No. 1 growing game in the United States and possibly worldwide," Phillips said. "Here in Wilson, it's very popular as well. Our three Rotary courts are packed every morning. If you have ever been by there, it's a group of 40 to 50 that meet out there every morning to play. It is a very fun, social game. It keeps everyone active even into their senior years, and then the young kids love to get out here and play as well."

Player Carlos Tyndall said the game suits all ages and all genders.

"The older, the younger, it just converts from tennis, from racquetball," he said. "It is easy to get on the court and easy to learn."

David Nolen said pickleball is a good sport for the older crowd.

"You don't have to run so much," Nolen said." The joints are not punished as much. It is absolutely fantastic. Look at everybody out here. It is just a great social sport. You can talk a lot of junk and take it out on your opponents."

Before the new Gillette facility opened, pickleball players shared three courts at Greater Wilson Rotary Park. The added courts will mean players shouldn't have to wait to play.

'WE DID THE RESEARCH'

Dale Edmonds, park superintendent for the city of Wilson, said recreation officials traveled to the biggest pickleball facilities in Florida to see how to best design and build Wilson's facility.

"We did the research," Edmonds said.

They visited a facility in Naples and saw Pictona at Holly Hill, a 49-court facility in Daytona Beach.

"We toured those and met with their leaders, asked some questions, checked out how they built it, got ideas, fence sizes and this and that or whatever," Lee said. "This is something brand-new. Anything we have built, we have tried to do some research or get good ideas and sit down and talk it out so we don't think of something after the fact."

City officials anticipate the venue will host local, regional, state and national tournaments. The J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex already hosts large tournaments for soccer and youth baseball.

"This is a way to bring people to town for sure. This will be another age group," Lee said. "Usually what we have done has been the younger ones and the parents come along with them. The pickleball game is getting a lot younger. Two years ago, I think the average age was in the 50s and now it is down into the 20s, so this will bring adults to town. Adults like to go out to eat, and they have the money. It is going to really add another good thing for our department. It is just another great example of what parks and recreation means to a community, and it just shows how we are growing. Wilson is coming. It is getting bigger and bigger, and I can't wait to see what else happens."

MORE AMENITIES COMING

Phillips said the pickleball complex is not complete.

"We have a lot of additional amenities that are coming in the next few months," Phillips said. "For our championship courts, we have two new video scoreboards that are coming. We will have display TV for court information on the outside of the building. We have speaker systems, public Wi-Fi and things like that that will be coming in the next few weeks and months."

The facility has picnic tables, bleachers and several benches.

Two of the benches have special significance to two families.

Richard Little and other members of the pickleball community purchased a bench in memory of Katrina "Kat" Little, who died last year.

"That is my sister," Richard Little said. "She was one of the pioneers of Wilson pickleball. She was one of the first people to play here. She got on everybody who didn't come out here to play. She got on them and kept it going. Her whole goal was to be here when this place opened. I am glad that in some way she is and she always will be."

Little died on Nov. 22, 2023, at age 64.

A second bench is dedicated in honor of David H. Williams, who died in 1999, and Dennis D. Williams, who died in 1998.

"It is a blessing to be able to see this here at this opening," said Patricia Williams, mother of the two high school students who died in their teens. "We need this facility here in this area. It is heart-touching, and I am grateful to be able to see and witness the memories of my boys here. I am just grateful to God. Everything works together for him. I just tell everyone that I am thankful that he is still carrying us through."

The pickleball facility is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, hours that will be expanded during the warmer months.

Lee said Monday's informal opening will be followed with a larger grand opening in the spring.

For more information, call Phillips at 252-399-2419.