LONGPORT – Following a request from a prominent donor, the borough is conducting a survey of residents to determine the course of added recreational amenities at the beachfront recreation complex on 33rd and Atlantic avenues.
The borough wants to know residents’ preferences regarding tennis, pickleball and a new sport not seen much in this area – padel.
Padel is a new sport that could rival pickleball which took the country by storm over the last 10 years.
Padel, also called paddle tennis, is a rapidly growing sport that started in Acapulco, Mexico, that is a cross between tennis and squash. Like pickleball, it’s easy to play for people of all ages and abilities. The court is the third of the size of a tennis court and is fully surrounded by solid walls and fencing. During game play, the ball must bounce off the floor and wall before the next player hits it over the net. It is scored similar to tennis.
A resident who has played the sport internationally, has requested the city convert one of its three tennis courts into two padel courts and is willing to contribute toward its creation. Recreation Director Mary Pat McKenna said that pickleballers have indicated they would like to have more pickleball courts, and tennis players are reluctanct to give up one of their courts.
Having padel in Longport would attract new players willing to learn a new sport, offer a new amenity to active residents and visitors, and help grow the padel sport in America.
There are currently about 30 padel courts in the U.S., a third of them built in 2023. The nearest courts are located in Pennsylvania, New York and Florida. Building a padel court could cost $100,000 or more.
Mayor Nicholas Russo said before any decisions are made, he would like to hear from residents.
Proposed layout for revisions to Longport's beachfront recreation complex on 33rd and Atlantic avenues.The complex currently has three tennis courts and two pickleball courts. The survey asks residents to select one of three options: keep three tennis courts, convert one tennis court to two pickleball courts, or convert one tennis court into to two padel courts.
Only Longport residents can fill out the survey, which has been posted on the borough’s website at www.longportnj.gov.
Residents must complete the survey no later than the deadline Monday, Oct. 21.
https://downbeach.com/news/2024/jul/20/is-padel-the-next-best-sport-coming-to-downbeach-towns/
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