Whitecourt’s tennis court has been made new thanks to awesome pickleball volunteers

Anyone walking by the tennis court beside the Scott Safety Centre in Whitecourt over the years has noticed the deteriorating space. Years of use and weather had left their mark. However, if you’ve walked by it within the last few weeks, you would see a far different court. Gone are the faint lines, the chipped paint, and the dull vibe. Thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers, the tennis courts look brand spanking new.

“We started talking to Kelly Sadoway at the Allan & Jean Millar Centre about it three years ago, and they decided that the court wasn’t worth fixing,” explained local volunteer Guye Lappin. As a pickleball enthusiast, he and his group of like-minded players decided that they would put in some elbow grease and see if the courts could be salvaged after all. They sprayed the court to get it down to the asphalt, a process that was easier said than done. “Washing the old paint off was the hardest part. It took 130 volunteer hours for just that part. We eventually had Roadrunner Steamer come in and volunteer his steaming services. He got us finished the day he came. His units are quite a bit bigger than the pressure washers we were using, and that helped us feel like we were getting it done.”

 Once cleared, they sent pictures to the company that initially built the courts in the mid-’90s. “They gave us some advice on what to do. When built, it was done properly. The base underneath it was right, and the asphalt had the proper grade on it. We didn’t have many cracks on it either,” explained Lappin. The most extensive area with weather deterioration was the lines, but otherwise, the asphalt was surprisingly in good shape. “We did bring in some patching material and patch where the old tennis lines were.”

Once they had it cleared, the Town of Whitecourt and Woodlands County funded the materials needed for the project. “We put three layers of resurfacing material on and two layers of paint before we added the lines. That was all done by volunteers,” said Lappin. Rousing his fellow players into the mood to roll up their sleeves and get dirty was easy. “I sent out one text because we have a pickleball text group, and feedback started coming in immediately. They were asking when and where they could help. We had enough people every day for what we needed.” One of the days they needed the most help was painting the lines. “We had to tape all the lines first to get them straight, which was a lot of work.”

Lappin, who also volunteers immensely at Eastlink Park and is an avid skier, has played pickleball for about five years. “It’s supposed to be for older people, but the younger generation has really grabbed onto it and is playing it too. You can play it at any speed you want to. Of course, we think we’re 16 still, and we want to play it hard,” he laughed.

Now finished, the group can enjoy the fruits of their labour. “When we got the lines done that day, it was about two in the afternoon. Somebody said we should go out that night and see if we can play on it. I said, well, we don’t know if the lines will be sticking or not. We came out, and I said, if those lines aren’t sticking, we have to get off there, but we never left until about ten o’clock that night,” chuckled Lappin.

With blue lines in for tennis and ample room for multiple pickleball games or even badminton games, the courts are once again ready for action. “Before, you couldn’t play on it. The ball would bounce, and it would go all over because of the cracks. The tennis people weren’t using it anymore. No one was using it. Now you can play on it, and the ball bounces true. As far as traction goes, the paint that we put on it has sand mixed in, so it’s good traction even when it’s a bit wet.”

Overall, the volunteer-driven project encompassed about 500 volunteer hours from about 20 people. At the cost of around $10,000, the volunteers and the municipalities probably invested the same amount when you account for the hours. “It’s great. Everybody is enjoying it. People who walk by that remember the old tennis courts are shocked at what they look like now.” Those interested in playing can grab a net at the Allan & Jean Millar Centre any time. “There’s quite a few of us that will help beginners get started. We get them into games so that they get the feel of the sport,” explained Lappin.

For Emma Harper, the Town of Whitecourt’s Recreation Coordinator, seeing residents take the initiative on a project and see it through was terrific. “I think it’s just fantastic when you have community members, dedicated, passionate people, that want to see their sport or activity happen. We are there to support that and help. If there is a group of people that want some recreation to happen, for the most part, if we can, then we are going to help them with it. It just makes a huge difference when there is a group willing to put the time and energy to start the process and make it happen.”

She added that seeing the growth of pickleball has been neat too. “It has grown organically in town. Just providing a space to play and then have the players take off with it is great. They’ve been amazing at welcoming new players and getting more people involved. This court thing was an idea for a long time. It was their initiative and their hard work that made this happen. It’s such an amazing group to see in the community because they take it upon themselves to see a hole and fill it,” remarked Harper.