Thread by @emilycheath

The Great Tennis v. Pickleball War of 2022 is happening today in my small town at the Select Board meeting. I am ready for this bit of low-stakes but high emotion local governance that I have absolutely no opinions on whatsoever. It’s going to be a barn-burner of a fight.

Y’all it is standing room only (we are watching from home though). People are out in the hall because they can’t fit in. Neighbor against neighbor. Friendships will fall.

Pickleball will not be considered until later in the meeting. But for those who don’t follow local politics, a primer. The town has 8 tennis courts. The pickleballers are petitioning to have three turned permanently into pickleball courts.

I am told, though I understand none of this, that a tennis court may easily be quickly transformed into a pickleball court and back again, but not vice-versa. So the tennis players are upset about losing three courts, which are apparently THE prime courts.

Let me say, I absolutely love my small town and we have an amazing Select Board. I also love our residents who are passionate about local government and our town. And I have no clue what all of this is about.

Part of the issue is that the pickleballers independently raised funds to transform the courts. But the Select Board didn’t know this was happening. So apparently this is the public discussion. There are apparently a lot of emails from both sides.

Just learned that there is a “presentation” that has been prepared by Team Pickle.

Apparently recently a pickleballer said to people playing tennis “one day these will all be Pickleball courts.” Shots. Fired.

Board Chair (an absolute prince of a man who is so long-suffering): “this is not about tennis vs. pickleball”.

Select Board member: “I understand how great pickleball is.” She has a Pickleball court on her driveway. However, she also plays tennis. Thé nuance we need.

To be clear, I plan to be a total chaos agent and demand equal representation for badminton. 🏸

Another Select Board member has noted that racquetball is also great.

Many calls for civility from the Board members who are speaking first before opening up to public comment.

There are process concerns about how/why the money was raised. Funds not only improve the facilities, but change their function. This is the heart of the issue.

The Parks and Rec Director is now speaking. Starting with “The pandemic has really brought out the racquet sports”.

Also COVID.

A proposal was brought in October. This is part of a nationwide trend, even in other local towns. Pickleball, apparently, is a national movement. The rec board debated the “pros and cons of Pickleball” then voted to allow fundraising. But it turns out that wasn’t correct process.

Apparently he had weekly and sometimes daily contact from Team Pickle. He is addressing the “passion of the pickleballers” while also noting decreased tennis interest.

To summarize:

🎾: 📉
Pickleball: 📈

There are issues of accessibility. Pickleball nets are harder to set up than one might assume. So there are ADA reasons to make some permanent pickle courts.

Questions from the Board about why there was not a survey.

My observation: there are surveys in this town all the time.

Rec Director is admitting he cannot count all the people playing either sport due to the need to take care of the pool at the same time.

Questions now on how both worlds can exist. Peace in our time!

Questions are arising on why the tennis instructor has never been replaced.

Public comment is beginning!

The first comment comes from someone who is neither Team Pickle nor Team Tennis who is concerned about process issues. This is pragmatic NH at its best.

Hearing now from the Para-Pickleball players who are making some excellent points. They have to drive far away without local courts.

Another appeal that “this is not Pickleball vs. tennis”.

I’m just saying, we are saying that a lot.

Concern that a “small group of enthusiasts” is trying to “turn Exeter into a pickleball destination”.

This was said with legitimate concern.

Y’all “we pickleballers are not spring chickens anymore”.

One of them is 92!

They have to carry the net up to 100 feet to physically set it up.

Am I starting to have feelings and investment in this?

There are 30 tennis courts in town. But the woman who pointed this out was shouted down because some courts are at the prep school and not available to the public.

Y’all they rotate anyone who shows up in for pickleball. You don’t need a partner. Am I starting to lose my neutrality? I mayyyyy be getting pickled.

Counterpoint from Team Tennis. There are seniors who have “just as much fun” playing tennis.

“I just came out to support the tennis”.

Sort of like how my mom uses The Facebook”.

Uh oh. A non-town citizen wishes to speak. Denied.

I am absolutely going to go out to the courts this week and try out pickleball for myself. That 92 year old is totally going to school me.

“I don’t want to get into tennis vs. Pickleball.”

Ma’am, none of us do, but here we are.

“I am totally for ‘them’ having their own courts but not taking away our courts to do that.”

No pickleball in my back yard.

Apparently one of Team Pickle sent a multi-page letter to Board members complete with pictures.

Arguments are now being made that pickleball courts should be allowed, just somewhere else.

Concerns about the back room dealings between Big Pickleball and the Rec Department.

Twitter isn’t letting me post some tweets. Have I been tweeting about something too dangerous for the world to handle?

Should I be the peacemaker who builds new pickle courts in town for all to use?

“I don’t think it’s understood how many tennis players there are.”

The silent majority.

“You can’t stem the tide.”

The tide = the pickle

“It’s not broken. Why do we have to fix it?”

Ma’am. This is madness. Madness. There will be mass unrest in a week.

There has been an argument that pickle is distracting to people with ADHD.

As a person with ADHD I’d like to argue that everything is distracting to people with ADHD.

The comments are really starting to be 50/50 after starting off more pro Team Pickle. Each side is clapping loudly for their speakers.

Team Pickle is clarifying that the donations were given in good faith, usually around $20 each, by citizens and not some sort of underground Big Pickle Cabal.

Once again, it’s “not about pickleball vs. tennis”.

Have we considered that maybe it is? And have we considered that maybe this could all be settled by an epic, winner-takes-all dodgeball game?

Team Pickle pleads: “We are not trying to take away your lifestyle.”

If this does not happen, Team Pickle will return the donations. Sad pickles.

“Nobody’s life is going to change if those pickleball courts are installed. Your life isn’t going to be over.”

Tennis:

The person from out of town is being allowed to speak now. She came from a few towns over. She is telling a cautionary story from a third town. Apparently pickleball caused issues with backups on the tennis courts there.

Y’all I have travelled to speak on gay marriage and trans rights in other places. But I have never travelled for tennis.

Public comment is over. The Board will now deliberate. It may not be tonight. So, I will keep you posted.

Until then, thank you for joining me. Remember, get involved in local government. Your voice matters.

So how do you vote?

Finally, this is such a low stakes debate. So show up for the big ones: #ProtectTransKids #Plannedparenthood #ProtectRoe #BlackLivesMatter

Addendum: the debate continues. Select Board members are now deliberating. The whole room is trying to accurately count all town tennis courts.

All town parties (Board and Rec) are trying to come up with a temporary solution until a final decision is made.

Is there another place that could house permanent pickleball courts on the rec property?

Answer: no

We have found the ground upon which nets will be shed.

Public Works is now being brought into the conversation in order to address traffic concerns.

A survey is going out this week. Rec will come back with proposals in June.

Volunteers are currently assisting with court conversion on Monday/Wednesday/Friday. More volunteers are being called for now.

The survey is being wordsmithed by the crowd to control for pro-tennis bias.

And with that, the topic is closed. Temporary adjustments will be made until June. Then, we shall meet again.

For now, a truce. A hint of peace. And yet, in the distance, the dogs of war howl.

Fin.

(Okay, not quite. They had to clear the room of all the chattering racquet enthusiasts in order to proceed with the rest of the meeting.)

Next day postscript: I've been emailed by an angry supporter of one of the factions who tells me that I am a bad community leader and Christian for "mocking" the issues. She has offered to "educate" me. I'm going to pass, but I did want you all to know that I'm a bad Christian.

Also, y'all, I've spent the past week worried that the Supreme Court is about to abolish my marriage and threaten my ability to live freely as a trans person. I respect the racquet sports folks, but their courts are not the ones I'm the most worried about these days.