Pickleball Anyone? Blooming Grove Courts are Ready
- ejreporter
- 50 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Actually, Now There are 3 Ball Games
and 10 Courts
Blooming Grove residents have been waiting for the finishing touches to be done on its brand new Pickleball Courts for awhile, and now they are ready. Councilman Steve Amante took a ride over and talked to some people at the courts which are adjacent to May's Field to find out what they thought of them. Amante said that the general response was a unanimous "They’re just beautiful” and “We love it”.
The courts are now open for play, and there are several signs, plus a QR code that new players can scan to check the rules of the game if players don’t know them yet, or if anyone wants a quick refresher. It would probably be a good idea to do so, and ask friends and players as well since according to AI reviews there are a lot of varieties in how the game is played, but it adds that once you know which version you are going to play it is very easy to learn. .
According to Google's AI review on the game -Pickleball is "one of the paddle sports" invented in the U.S. in 1965, played by two or four people with paddles and a perforated plastic ball, over a net on a court smaller than a tennis court. The game combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, and is known for being easy to learn but also offering strategic, fast-paced competitive play. It features simple rules, such as not volleying in the "kitchen" (non-volley zone) and serving from the baseline, and is played by people of all ages and skill levels. "
Blooming Grove’s Recreation Department is in charge of the Pickleball Program. Now the courts are available to everyone, but when the they get busy players should know that if someone has called the Rec Department to reserve a court then they get first dibs on it, and any other player who is already there must yield to the person who has made a reservation.
(See some of the posted rules at the end of this story.)
Town Supervisor, Rob Jeroloman has monitored every step of its construction, making sure it is "State of the Art" and will last. He said that when a few more non-essential bells and whistles are added the Town will hold a small official ceremony, but for now the word of the day is to get a paddle and have some fun!
The game is similar to tennis, but without the speed, physical exertion and risks of injury, so many senior adults are enjoying it. It was invented in the 60's by a family who had misplaced their tennis racquets and decided they wanted to modify the game so it would be a little easier and more appropriate for them to play with their children. Then it gained use with those recovering from minor injuries, beginner tennis wannabes and individuals with some minor disability. With a population that is aging, the game took off and has become increasingly popular.
5 New Basketball Courts
The New Basketball Courts
For several years it has been a recurring complaint in both the Town and Village, that "We need more places to play basketball. Now there are 5 beautiful new courts right next to the pickleball courts
With all of these good news changes, residents will be adjusting to a whole new mindset about May’s Field. Perhaps it is time to think about a slight name change, maybe "May's Park". No longer will it 'just' be the beloved Baseball Field. It is now a Baseball, Basketball and Pickleball Park. The baseball fields are so beautiful, they look like Yankee Stadium and the Basketball and Pickleball courts look like they were just painted (yes they were).
May's Baseball Fields - Home of Blooming Grove Little League & Hawks Baseball Teams
The entire May’s Park is now truly inviting. And Supervisor Jeroloman has a plan to keep it that way. At Tuesday night’s Town Board Meeting he presented a plan that would have the Town lease a groundbreaking robotic machine that digitizes every inch of space and turn and circle when they need to be painted. This would enable practically labor-free repainting within a centimeter of correctness to an internal digitized map. It even stops if something comes in front of it and reports the problem. With all of the labor time saved it may end up being a wash or even a benefit in terms of cost, depending on how much paint is needed relative to ground absorption? There are also a lot of discounts that come with the proposal because it is associated with two towns, (one of them being New Windsor which shares some sports with Blooming Grove), that recommended us as a customer to the sales representative. A final decision has not yet been made, but so far the board members were inclined to be in favor of it… depending on a final cost/savings evaluation. It sounds very "New Age", but if you have seen the Mr. Robot at Stop 'N Shop trolling the aisles and recording every item on every shelf (with a smile on his face), then you know it can be extremely practical and economic.
Dick’s Sporting Goods has a wide variety of paddles, but their cost ranges all the way from $24.99 to $333 so if you are a new player it would be wise to talk to friends and/or experienced players at the courts to learn what paddle will serve (sic) you the best.
