Pickleball is a fun sport, especially if you have people you like to play it with! There’s nothing more important than finding a good set of people who can share the fun of pickleball with you, and thankfully there are many resources out there to help.
Sometimes, the problem comes from not knowing where to play pickleball in the first place. Unknown to some, local communities have pickleball courts, but they’ve never heard of it. Sometimes, people who want to get in the sport feel discouraged, for lack of knowing where to go. Finding a court near your area isn’t impossible. Although the task can sometimes feel frustrating, knowing what to do will make the job a lot easier and fun.
Look for Games Near You
You may have pickleball courts in your area which you aren’t familiar with. Luckily, there’s an app called “Places2Play” which is a USAPA smartphone application. Once you share your location information with the application, it can automatically show you pickleball courts near you. Another great feature of the app is its weather tool, which comes in handy the next time you want to play.
iPhone only application
The application is limited to Apple users, available for download at the app store, free of charge. Just type in “usapa,” and select “USAPA Places2Play” application. Make sure to allow the app to use your GPS location so that it can show pickleball courts near you. You can download the application here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/usapa-places2play-pickleball/id1235144261?mt=8
Navigate the application
Once you’ve downloaded the app, familiarize yourself with its features and tools. You can check out what’s available around your area, and make sure your GPS is enabled. If you don’t want to allow your GPS, you can type in your zip code as an alternative. It works just the same, and it can show nearby courts.
Knowing the Icons
You’ll see different icons on the application’s map. It can be confusing at the beginning, but it’ll all makes sense once you know what they mean.
- Location – Red icons mean that the courts are located indoors, while orange icons indicate the court is outdoor. Blue icons, on the other hand, signifies that the court is a hybrid of either an indoor or outdoor court.
- Wind Barometer – The icons usually have a grey ring around the icons, which is a wind barometer. It helps let you know the wind condition, and which direction it’s coming from.
- Regular Icons – If you press an icon, you can find the regular icon as an option. A regular icon means that the pickleball court is available for anyone without cost, or they accept donations.
- Dollar Icons – On the other hand, dollar icons mean that the pickleball court costs some money.
- Padlock Icons – This means that the pickleball court is private and is only for exclusive use.
The application can tell you more about the icons, by merely pressing the “show legend” option. Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the application, you can begin using the app to look for a pickleball court. Make sure to keep in mind where the free locations are, and remember that this is also an opportunity for you to meet and play with other people.
Once you’ve checked out a location, it tells you more information and description of the place. A cool feature about the application is that it allows you to filter sites which you don’t like. Or if you have any preference, such as weather conditions, you can filter it out so you can only see those you want.
Check-Out the USAPA Website
For a beginner who wants to know more about Pickleball, the United States of America Pickleball Association (USAPA) website: https://www.places2play.org/, is an excellent place to go. One of the great things about the site is that it lets beginners understand what pickleball is all about. Right from the get-go, USAPA already makes sure that it entices people to join the community, and it does a great job by making sure beginners have some to contact.
USAPA is helpful, as they set pickleball regulations and make several tournaments. Whether you’re a beginner or not, the website can get you connected to communities and even show you locations near your area. The site comes in handy to many people, whether they play pickleball competitively or a simple casual game.
Residing outside the United States isn’t a problem, because the USAPA website is just as helpful to outsiders. USAPA organized a comprehensive list of places, and communities people can reach out too, outside the US. It’s an excellent way for people to come together, regardless of where they are. Moreover, the website is a one-stop-shop for pickleball beginners, which makes it an excellent tool for knowing the sport, and falling in love with it.
Reach Out to Local Ambassadors
USAPA is the leading organizer and oversight of the sport pickleball. They promote the sport by giving people who love sport ambassadorship, and you might find a pickleball ambassador in your community. You can find a complete list of the ambassadors through this website, and who knows you might find one in your community: https://www.memberleap.com/members/directory/search_USAPA.php?ambassadors
Reaching out to these ambassadors is an excellent way for you to find a place to play pickleball and a community who can learn and play with you. USAPA ambassadors are very helpful, and they can direct you to any community which they think will help you. They can also help you look for reliable locations, and who knows, they might join you and get you familiarized with the sport.
Another perk of reaching your ambassadors is that you get to expand your social network. The pickleball community is an extremely social network, and it’s an excellent way for you to fall in love with the sport and learn with the pros. At the same time, you can also find beginners or people who are at the same level as you. You’ll never run out of people who can join you in your games.
Utilize Facebook
There’s no better place to look for people than Facebook. Facebook is an excellent platform for you to reach out to people who share the same interests, find new hobbies, communities, and friends. If you want to know where to learn more about pickleball without having a hard time, search for groups. One of the accessible pages is the “Pickleball Forum,” which you can find on this websitehttps://www.facebook.com/. Once you’ve connected with a group on Facebook, you can start looking for people to play with. You can also give advice, or start a conversation about your shared interests.
The great thing about Facebook is that it allows you to reach out to over a million people at a time, at the comfort of your home. Most importantly, it will enable you to connect with pickleball enthusiasts. If you’re looking for a community close to your home, you can do a quick search about your area, or you can get even great a croup specific for your community. Making your group is one of the best and easiest ways to reach out and organize events. It also comes in handy when you want to network with other people and discover about your neighborhood.
There’s a lot of information you can get out there, and Facebook is one of the great tools to get started. You can also visit websites like https://www.meetup.com/ which also allows you to connect with more people. Here, you can set your interests and set a game with people around your area. Now that you’ve found people to play with, you can start advancing your skills and falling in love with pickleball. Your first game may be tough and challenging, but you’ll soon get comfortable with that feeling. Just remember, the people you’re playing with are some of the most helpful people out there who share the same love as you, pickleball.
There are many tools to help you look for your next pickleball court, and hopefully, these lists were able to help you. Make sure to check out different places near you, and start getting to know the community around you.