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Pickleball – a combination of tennis, badminton and ping-pong – has become known as the fastest-growing sport in the United States, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Now it has gained traction in the Thompson Falls area.

It began in 2019. A group of about 10 pickleball players would meet a couple of times a week in the Thompson Falls Elementary School gym as part of an adult education program. A small hobby that helped pass the time during winter has blossomed into the Thompson Falls Pickleball Club (TFPC) with approximately 50 active members. As more and more community members discover the up-and-coming sport of pickleball, players say they need a more designated court space.

Club members have moved to the sport court area near Thompson Falls High School to accommodate the growing number of local players. Half of the site is on city property; the other half is on school property. Right now, both sides need some work as the courts have been neglected for quite some time.

Last December, the club was approved as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and has set out on the journey to breathe new life into the dilapidated courts. A memorandum of understanding was established between the city and the club as the city has agreed to repair and maintain the fence at the site.

"Other than the use of property, the city said they wouldn't be able to provide any help with funding," said TFPC secretary Sue Borrego. "The surface of the court is cracked, there are dips and recessions, the paint is wearing, it's just no longer safe."

So far, the club has raised around $18,000 and is working with a contractor to assess all the work that needs to be done with the courts, including the cost to resurface the entire area. "We've worked so hard to get where we are now and raise what we have," Borrego said.

The club has received letters of support from local organizations and help from those in the community who also wish to see the courts restored, including potential grant funding from Kayla Mosher, recreation outreach coordinator with Kaniksu Land Trust. Mosher says she has been looking into different grants and funding opportunities to help aid in the resurfacing project.

"I've identified one grant, the Land Water Conservation Fund, that would be an excellent fit for the project," Mosher said. "This grant has a long application process and only awards money once yearly, so we wouldn't be looking at getting funds until possibly 2023 or 2024 for this. We are looking at some other funding opportunities for the short term, too."

Mosher says if the club was able to resurface part of the courts to make pickleball easier to play, the rest could be fixed once other funding comes in.

"I would love to see the entire tennis courts redone and brought back to life so people can play pickleball, tennis, basketball, and the high school can begin using them again for PE or sports, too," she said. "It would be great to see this space revitalized and more usable for the community once again. Children need safe places to play, and adults need to have fun, too. The courts would be great for everyone to enjoy."

The club has raised about half of what is needed to convert the tennis courts into four new pickleball courts. TFHS has also voiced its support should the club be able to raise the funds needed to complete the project. After a conversation about funding with superintendent Bud Scully, TFPC was given the go-ahead to continue their endeavor.

"I told them that we would support them by agreeing to allow them to use the courts if they were able to get the additional funding," Scully said. "At this time, the district's priority is to continue to work toward improving the track. We have a great number of students and community members who use the track. Our classes currently do not use the courts. We will be doing some repairs to the boards hanging on the fence as I noticed they were falling off." For now, club members will continue to play and for the love of the game, will continue to endure the condition of the courts.

Borrego has been playing pickleball for the last three years and was one of the originals who started playing in the elementary school's gym back in 2019. "I played tennis when I was younger; it was something I loved," she said. "I knew this would be something I would love too. I was hooked the moment I played, and I knew it was something I wanted to continue."

Borrego says she plays every chance she gets, and the sport has become a passion of hers and many others in the community. "It's fun, social and good exercise," she said. "We are getting more and more people wanting to play. The interest has grown, the numbers have grown. We just love to play."

Donations for TFPC's effort to resurface the courts can be sent to Thompson Falls Pickleball Club, P.O. Box 2043, Thompson Falls, MT 59873. Go to TFPC on Facebook for updates on how the club is doing.