As part of their regular meeting April 4, Keller City Council approved the addition of four lighted pickleball courts at Bear Creek Park. The four new courts will be located to the north of the existing pickleball courts at the park, bringing the total number of courts to eight.

Construction on the $413,717 project will begin this summer. It includes building the four courts and installing lights, installing a shade structure nearby, and improvements to sidewalks and trails.

The cost of adding these park amenities shall be paid from the Parks Capital Improvement Project Fund with funding from the Keller Development Corporation Fund.

Pickleball is a sport similar to tennis that is played using composite or wooden paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball over a net. According to USA Pickleball, which is the governing body of the sport, it enjoyed growth rates of 21.3% from 2019 to 2020 and 14.8% from 2020 to 2021. In the past five years, the average annual growth rate has been 11.5%.

“Pickleball is the answer for America,” jCouncil member Tag Green joked.

He then followed his remark on a more serious note.

“It’s very encouraging to hear a community talk about all the positive things that come out of something that is a fairly new phenomena,” he said.