Will Fairhaven be the 'epicenter of pickleball'? Here's what's planned for the summer.

FAIRHAVEN — Pickleball has taken over Fairhaven with over 200 registered players, more than 20 new courts and now an exclusive indoor site in the works.

"We're going to become the epicenter of pickleball," said Kenneth Pottel, 77, head of the Fairhaven Pickleball Association.

Pottel started the association with his wife, Joyce, and within the last year and half, he said, they now have 284 members and 440 newsletter subscribers.

"Once it gets into a community like Fairhaven, it's going to spread," he said. "We went from having no courts, and by the end of this year, we'll have 21."

According to an article in USA Today, pickleball is a sport that combines elements of racquet games as well as badminton, originated in the 1960s.

The sport is the fastest-growing in the U.S., with more than 4.8 million players and a 12% increase in the past year, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. 

Now, pickleball is poised to be added as an official Olympic sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Pottel said he discovered pickleball after breaking his leg while playing tennis in Florida. "When I recovered, I felt maybe I should try pickleball because tennis is a little more demanding, you're running faster and further," he said.

"Pickleball is still very physical. You get a good workout. I'm all sweated out by the end."

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Introducing pickleball to Fairhaven

Pottel said when he returned to Fairhaven, he recruited his wife and her friends to play in Mattapoisett as a way to attract interest.

Having previously run a junior tennis program in Acushnet, Pottel formed the association as a way to start teaching classes. 

"We started running clinics," he said. "We would have like 30 people sign up. We had to turn people away."

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Recently, Pottel announced another beginner's clinic for June. He said they filled all the slots in 24 hours. "I think a lot of people like learning something new, and it was great to play during the pandemic because it gets you outside," he said.

Pottel wants to host a tournament in Fairhaven this summer.

"A lot of people have told me they wouldn't know what they would've done if they didn't have pickleball while in this pandemic."

He also said that people play all the time, morning and evening — a group even played weekly during the winter. 

"It reaches so many people from 90-year-olds to 20-year-olds," he said. "It's a great exercise and it's very social because you sit there and talk when you're waiting to play."

Indoor courts to open in July

Now, an indoor court is being built at 4 David Drown Blvd., in place of the old roller skating rink. The project is being spearheaded by Adam Rogers and Rob Ferreira.

SouthCoast Pickleball will feature seven indoor courts within the 22,000-square-foot building. There will also be a seating area, a lounge area as well as small changing rooms and a sales counter for merchandise and snacks.

"People are kind of referring to it as the fastest-growing sport across the country right now," said Rogers. "That's kind of what prompted us to open the indoor facility."

Rogers, who taught for 12 years at Old Rochester Regional High School, has been at Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School for the past seven years.

He said the original plan was to renovate the property to become condominiums, but they pivoted after meeting with Paul Foley, the director of the Planning & Economic Development for Fairhaven.

They were told there was a huge demand for more pickleball courts.

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"I didn't know too much about it. We took the time, and we did some due diligence," Rogers said. "We were able to go and find that it really is something that's just evolving, and kind of felt as if it was the right fit, in many ways."

Rogers said they are about 80% complete, hoping to open in mid-July. The goal is to be open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

"The feedback that we've gotten from the community has been nothing short of amazing," he said.

"Rob and I are family-oriented people. When we get the opportunity to participate and kind of be a positive contributor to the community... it's awesome. We love it."

Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.