Pickleball gets rolling in Beach Haven with new, permanent courts

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Players of all skill levels join the game.

The sound of Wiffle balls smacking back and forth against hand paddles filled the courts of the newly renovated Nelson Avenue Skating Rink in Beach Haven on Monday evening, Aug. 3, as local residents and visitors of all ages gathered to participate in friendly and/or competitive games of pickleball. The racket game, which combines elements of tennis and badminton, is currently one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States.

“This is so wonderful, that they brought this to LBI. These courts are beautiful,” noted Joan Thomas, a vacationer who had been introduced to the game in Florida last winter. “It’s an addicting sport; you get on the court, and you can’t get off. I’m going to play it every day here.”

The desire for permanent pickleball courts in Beach Haven quickly became a necessity after local residents Ted and Candy Zolcinski introduced the game to other individuals on LBI last summer. A growing number of players, ranging in age from 12 to 90, participated in the game on temporary courts at the Beach Haven School before moving indoors for the winter at the St. Francis Community Center in Brant Beach.

Now Beach Haven has its very own six-court pickleball facility. Scheduled games are held Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon, with instruction taking place between 9 and 10. Anyone interested in playing roller hockey or roller skating can do so at the rink from noon on. Individuals with their own pickleball equipment are also encouraged to set up games throughout the day.

“How could it not turn out any better than this? Look at this crowd,” urged Ted Zolcinski, motioning to the many players and individuals who came out to learn more about the game during the grand opening. “This is a tremendous response. It’s probably even better than I expected.”

The rink was originally constructed many years ago by now-retired Beach Haven Police Chief Butch McCaffrey. It had been in disrepair the last few years before borough officials and local volunteers recently teamed up to revamp it. The town contributed around $19,000, $7,000 of which was left over from the initial project. Volunteers donated another $3,000 to $4,000 in repairs and equipment.

The local, volunteer-run pickleball enterprise, led by ambassadors Karl Lombel and Robin O'Brien (a silver medalist of the 2014 New Jersey Senior Olympics for pickleball), currently includes about 100 players from on and off the Island. It is free and open to all, including beginning, novice, intermediate and advanced players. Players must wear sneakers, and are encouraged to play at their own pace and skill level.

“If you’ve played before and you want to play on the beginner courts, you can do that. And if you want to play competitively, we have a place for that, too,” Zolcinski said. “It’s really just about having fun.”

Many described the game as a “social sport,” where they can catch up with neighbors and friends and make plans to play games later.

“We’ve met more people through pickleball in the last year than we have since we moved here in 1997,” Zolcinski said.

The players anticipate a greater response in the future, as more people learn about the courts.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.