Pickleball is growing in popularity in Orange, with hundreds of people now regularly taking to the courts at the PCYC and Orange Bowling Club. But for the sport to really grow any further, new dedicated facilities are needed, says local pickleball coach Chris Ducas.

“We're at a crossroads,” says Chris. “Things are going pretty well, we've got about 400 players, but we really need new facilities. We have six courts at the PCYC, but you're in heavy competition for the gym floors with other sports, and the outdoor courts at the Orange Bowling Club, during the winter time, it's just not quite viable with the weather that we have.”

The Orange PCYC recently hosted our city’s first regional tournament, which Chris says was a big success, but they are limited by space to grow any future events.

“We haven't even started with juniors yet, formally, so It's a bit of a problem,” Chris said.

Chris’ long-term dream is to see a dedicated pickleball facility built in Orange. Last year he approached Orange City Council with the idea, and he says they have potentially offered a large indoor space that could be used for pickleball in the interim.

“We really need a professional-looking indoor facility, but it's going to cost to put in professional courts,” he says, “and we need professional courts if we're going to invite other cities and towns for tournaments.”

Chris estimates that painting six pickleball courts will cost about $48,000, which he hopes to raise with the help of local sponsorship.

“I don't expect the city council to put in for all of that, but we need their endorsement so we can get local business investors for that,” he said. “So we're looking for a bit of a commitment there as well as local sponsorship.”