Parks and Rec offers pickleball tournament

Monticello Parks and Rec is capitalizing on the success of a new recreational opportunity in town: Pickleball.

     The popularity of the sport, for all ages, has turned into the Monticello Pickleball Tournament.

     A few weeks ago, Parks and Rec held pickleball lessons. Parks and Rec staff Jacob Oswald and Shannon Poe said they can teach anyone how to play pickleball.

     There will be an opportunity for men and women to take to the new court in Monticello, and show off their pickleball skills. The courts are located near Diamond Drive and E. Fifth Street.

     The mixed doubles tournament will be held the weekend of Aug. 29-30. Men and women’s doubles will take place Sept. 12-13. There will be multiple age brackets, depending on how many teams sign up.

     Oswald said after the first half hour of releasing the details of the tournament, they already secured one mixed team, two men’s teams, and one women’s team.

     “One hundred teams would be pretty cool to see between all three opportunities,” he urged. “That’s doable.”

     The cost is $20 pear person; $40 per double. One hundred percent of the proceeds go toward the pickleball lighting project.

     You can register by contacting Parks and Rec at 319-465-6640 or e-mailing joswald@ci.monticello.ia.us.

     The deadline for mixed teams to register is Wednesday, Aug. 26. Men and women’s teams have until Wednesday, Sept. 9.

     “You don’t necessarily have to pay ahead of time,” Oswald stipulated. “You can pay when you check in that day.”

     Teams are asked to bring their pickleball equipment to the tournament (outdoor balls and paddles). Monticello Sports will also be selling pickleball equipment to purchase locally.

     The pickleball court lighting project includes two light poles, allowing people to play into the evening into the fall or early in the morning.

     “We’ve had a lot of questions about when we’re going to get lights up,” offered Oswald. “It’s only going to get darker earlier now.”

     Both Oswald and Poe said pickleball really took off fast in Monticello once the courts were complete.

     The courts recently saw an upgrade thanks to Johnny Bader who donated his time to brick the pillars of the shelter next to the pickleball court. Avid pickleball player, Mike Bowman, led the financial movement behind the project.

     You can stay up to date on the pickleball tournament and all Parks and Rec news by following their Facebook page (“City of Monticello – IA Parks & Recreation”).