Pickleball players look to share space until designated courts are built

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-Pickleball courts are now sharing space nationwide and along the central coast.

A new contract at Earl Warren Showgrounds is in the works that will allow pickleball players to share space that has been used for arena sports for decades.

Dave Wilcox, who operates Dynamite Pickleball with his wife Tracy, said this past week they worked to resolve issues with other sports that share showgrounds space behind horse stables.

"We are still working to finalize the contract and to be ready to move forward, "said Wilcox, " but, our job right now it to go reach out to the different groups to make sure they know they are not being moved, they never were, they are able to keep their same times, same rates, same dates."

Many tennis players at the Municipal Tennis Center in Santa Barbara are hoping the city will find a designated space for growing sport.

Wilcox calls pickleball a worldwide phenomenon. He owns a club in Texas and said he was out of shape when he started playing during the pandemic.

Since then, he has shed 50 pounds playing and intends to lose more.

He warns people to take it easy since people who haven't exercised in awhile have been injured.

He said he loves the social aspect of the sport and that people of all ages are playing.