Rockport Pickleball created this petition to be delivered to the City of Rockport.

Pickleball has become the fastest growing sport in America, and it is time that Aransas County residents, Winter Texans and visitors have dedicated pickleball courts.

Currently, there are only two public places to play Pickleball in Aransas County: Rockport-Fulton High School Tennis Courts and Tiger Field basketball court. Neither of the facilities are dedicated to Pickleball. At Tiger Field, there are two pickleball courts painted, but there is no fence or windscreen which makes it almost impossible to play unless there is no breeze. Not to mention, two courts is hardly enough with the amount of players we have. We are also only allowed to use the facility when children are not there using it. Then at R-F High School, the preferred place to play, we are allowed to mark 8 Pickleball courts, with chalk, on the schools old tennis courts (we are not allowed to use the newly built courts). The old courts are not maintained and in need of resurfacing and the fencing is damaged making it hard to keep the play going since we have to chase balls all the way to the other end of a tennis court. The school does not use these courts and they are designated as "public", since the only tennis court in the city was removed at Memorial Park several years ago.

We are requesting that a new Pickleball complex be funded by Texas Parks and Wildlife Recreation Grant. This program provides 50% matching grants on a reimbursement basis. All grant assisted sites must be dedicated as parkland in perpetuity, properly maintained and open to the public. The grants are currently set at $150,000 for a Local Park Small Community. The feasibility study needs to be approved by November to give us adequate time to be in next year's RGO grant.

This facility shall be run by a parks and recreation department but Rockport Pickleball Group is here to help organize and create a program for everyone. We hope to have a designated schedule for Beginners, Clinics, Women Only, Advanced and Open Play including anyone who would like to show up.

Another option is for the city to take ownership of the old RF High Tennis courts on the corner of Enterprise and Stadium Drives. Even if it is just court 5. Let us have that one single tennis court at the end so we can make 4 permanent Pickleball courts. This is the least expensive and best option right now. And if not there, let's get this built elsewhere, granted at a higher financial cost.

PLEASE SIGN and explain why you want dedicated Pickleball courts here! Please attend City Council or Parks and Recreation meetings and write letters to the editor of the The Rockport Pilot.

Join our group on Facebook. Rockport Pickleball

Let's DO IT!

Thank you.

Michelle Eggimann

USAPA Pickleball Ambassador

361-729-1112