Indoor pickleball courts coming to Ozark

OZARK, Ala. (WTVY) -- Regarded as the fastest growing sport in America, Ozark is looking to be the leader in growing pickleball here in the Wiregrass.

With the Ozark tennis courts at Steagall Park needing a face lift, an alternative was needed to play pickleball in the city.

“As we started looking at that, we just started looking at other options and, and we wound up realizing we had a building that we could convert into an indoor facility and that’s what we’re doing,” said Ozark mayor Mark Blankenship.

That building at the Ozark Shopping Center just across from the city’s municipal building.

“We want to be ahead of the game and be one of the first to have an indoor court in this area where you can have tournaments,” Blankenship added. “The wind really affects the Pickleball, so that’s what makes the indoor such a big deal for us and so we’re just excited about it.”

Now pickleball will be added to Ozark’s leisure services programs a decision made after mayor Blankenship got a taste of the sport himself.

“Before we knew it, he was out on the courts playing pickleball because we had a clinic, we wanted him to participate in and I wanted to teach him how to play and he learned very quickly and now we can’t get him off the courts,” said Elizabeth Wyse,

“We’ve got more classes and now the city wants to do tournaments and so an indoor facility would be best for that,” said Heidi Faulk, Ozark Community Tennis and Pickleball co-owner.

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