On almost any morning at McKenzie Park, you’ll see the same thing: six courts full, and a row of paddles on the fence belonging to players waiting their turn. There’s laughter and friendly trash talk, and someone is always calling out the score, “four-two-one!” That’s why I want to thank the city of Los Altos for proposing to make McKenzie Park the home of our first permanent outdoor pickleball courts.
The plan reviewed by the Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture Commission in August would convert the two tennis courts near Fremont Avenue into six dedicated pickleball courts, with nets, new fencing, a gated entry and bike racks. The sound walls that have worked so well will stay in place. Community Services Director Manny Hernandez called the three-year pilot “overwhelmingly successful for pickleball.” Those of us who play there every week agree.
Thank you to city staff, to the commissioners, and to the council members who backed the pilot when pickleball was still a curiosity to many. You took a careful approach: you shared the courts, measured the demand and listened to residents. The data you gathered made the answer clear, and you acted on it.
The courts are already at capacity
The pilot didn’t just prove interest. It proved a shortage. On pickleball days, all six courts are in use from the first game in the morning, and players regularly wait for a court to open. When we rotate in, we often find ourselves playing with strangers and many of those strangers have become friends.
That’s the part of pickleball numbers can’t capture. It’s a social sport. The courts are small, so you’re close enough to talk to the other players. Games are short, so partners rotate constantly. Retirees play with young parents, newcomers with longtime residents, beginners with former college athletes. I’ve watched people who moved here knowing no one build a circle of friends in a single season.
A sport for a lifetime
Pickleball also has a special value for a community like ours: people can keep playing it for decades. Compared with tennis and other court sports, it’s easier on the joints and needs less running and less court coverage. That means people can stay in the game long after they might have given up other sports. For many players in their 60s, 70s and 80s, pickleball is how they stay active several mornings a week, and it’s what gets them out of the house to see friends.
We know regular exercise and strong social ties are two of the best things anyone can do for healthy aging. Pickleball delivers both at once. Few city investments pay off in residents’ health and happiness the way a few well-used courts do.
What comes next
As the project goes out to bid, I’d ask the city for three things:
A clear timeline. Players want to know when construction will start and when the new courts will open.
A place to play during construction. Temporary lines on another city court, such as at Rosita Park, would keep the community together while the work is done.
A plan for more courts. Six courts are a great start, but they’re already full. Demand keeps growing across the country, from 4.8 million players in 2021 to about 24.3 million in 2025, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Los Altos residents are part of that growth. As the city updates its parks plans, I hope it will look for sites for more dedicated pickleball courts.
Los Altos has a chance to be a model for how a city can welcome a new sport thoughtfully and fairly. The McKenzie Park conversion is a great first step. Thank you for taking it and I’ll see you on the courts.
Robert Henely
Los Altos
