Officials foresee growth for tournament play in Flagler County
After organizing the inaugural Hammock Cup pickleball tournament in 2017, Walt Hooker knew he needed a bigger venue for this year's competition.
Working with staff from the city of Palm Coast to utilize the tennis courts at Holland Park, which could be arranged to accommodate additional pickleball courts, Hooker moved the 2nd Annual Hammock Cup to the park and welcomed 143 players to the area from around the state
Nearly doubling the number of players from 80 last year, Hooker, a pickleball ambassador for the USA Pickleball Association, has seen interest in the sport grow around the state. It's easier on the body than tennis, he explains, and invites social interaction among the players as they banter across the net or while waiting for their turn on the courts.
“Some of the players are local — Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns County — and others are from Melbourne, Naples, New Smyrna Beach, all across Florida and from St. Mary’s, Georgia,” said Hooker. “Compared to tennis, it’s more social. Because the court is smaller, you can actually talk to your opponents.
" Because we don’t have many courts, a lot of people have to wait to play and then they talk with their neighbors," he said. "They’re socializing off the court, on the sidelines, talking with their new friends.”
While pickleball is growing in popularity among retirees, in cities like Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach, the 18-to-35 age bracket also is packed with players, Hooker said.
Sponsored by Selkirk, maker of pickleball equipment, the brother-and-sister team of Brad Ashley, 36, and Cyndi Roberts, 40, from Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach, say they are seeing an uptick of players 40 and younger taking up the sport.
“The kids are starting young now," said Roberts. "People think it’s an older sport but there are so many people our age and younger that have taken off with it, so I think this is awesome."
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland, who's also a pickleball player, said she was happy to welcome the tournament to the city’s courts.
“Pickleball is a growing sport that so many of our residents are playing and are excited that we are building the courts that support it,” she said. “Palm Coast is proud to be part of this weekend’s tournament and this aligns with our council’s support of these amenities. As a pickle ball player myself, I can’t think of a better way to encourage a fun activity for all ages right here in our community.”
As Hooker looks to next year’s event and the growth of registrants, he’s already considering the options for location. Working with Flagler County Commissioner Greg Hansen, he’s hopeful additional courts can be added in the Mala Compra area of the Hammock, where the first Hammock Cup tournament was held.
“We’re excited about the growth of pickleball here in Flagler County,” Hansen said. “We’re making an effort to expand our footprint in the county and adding several more courts, if we can, to make pickleball more attractive and more easily accessible to our residents, plus give us the opportunity to have tournaments, which brings hundreds of people into the county.”