Walnutport Borough council recently heard a request from a resident who asked for a pickleball court.

Bob Benson, a former boys and girls tennis coach at Salisbury High School, gave his best pitch to council.

“Pickleball is the new tennis,” Benson said. “Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States.”

Pickleball is a combination of tennis, table tennis, and badminton. The game is played on a court with a net. The surface is smaller than a tennis court.

Benson said that the borough has a “pretty good tennis court” for which it could use to play the sport.

He said that a normal pickleball court costs about $7,000, and suggested that the borough power-wash its court and line it.

Borough grant coordinator Michael Wentz said that the net can be put up; it just can’t be pulled real tight.

“We just can’t crank it really tight,” Wentz said. “There’s going to be a little bit of a sag in the net.”

Not to be dismayed, Benson did his best to be persuasive.

“It’s a good game,” he said. “You got the facility here.”

Mayor Wayne Weidner shared his only concern.

“How long it’s going to last,” Weidner said. “That’s what I’m worried about.”

It was then discussed whether there was a way to secure it so that it’s not taken.

On a personal level, Benson said he had his own reasons for wanting the borough to consider his wish.

“I’d just like to see something in the area so I don’t have to drive down to Allentown,” he said.

Pickleball has branched out to other municipalities in the area.

In January, Weatherly Borough received a $238,700 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to make improvements to Eurana Park.

That money will be used to build a basketball court, pickleball courts and pedestrian walkways, install fencing and lighting, improved ADA accessibility and landscaping.

In March 2022, the Walker Township Park Commission discussed plans with township supervisors for upgrades to Wildcat Park, located on Municipal Road, just off Wildcat Road.

Some of the improvements discussed at that time included a new play area with new playland equipment, ADA-compliant parking spaces and a path leading to the new play area.

Improvements also include the new play equipment, mulch, resurfacing the tennis court and basketball court area, and adding a pickleball court.