While reviewing a previous 2020-21 Valparaiso Parks “masterplan and resident research study,” Kevin Nuppnau, director of the Valparaiso Parks Department, noticed the word “pickleball” didn’t appear anywhere in the documents or among the park patron requests for upgrades.

“I’ve been in my director role for two years now, and before that, five years with the department,” Nuppnau said Monday while unveiling six new pickleball courts joining the ValPlayso park landscape.

“Pickleball wasn’t a term we really heard until about three years ago.”

What was previously a greenspace devoted to T-ball is now the six-court sprawl devoted to this popular paddle, net and court sport called pickleball, included in the $25 million recent enhancement plan for the existing park landscapes in the city-funded by the rePLAY initiative.

The public groundbreaking ceremony was April 15 at ValPlayso Park at the intersection of Glendale Boulevard and Roosevelt Road.“This project came in at around $500,000 and it was finished about a week ahead of schedule, which is wonderful,” Nuppnau said.

“It was more than just a construction effort, but also consideration and engineering for proper drainage.”

Following a ribbon cutting and opening remarks from Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas Monday morning, more than 200 park revelers, including eager pickleball enthusiasts, swarmed the fenced courts adorned with green “seed dotted” pickle-design balloon archways and borders.

“I liked that Mayor Costas inaugurated the courts with the first paddle hit,” said Lance Werner, 57, of LaPorte.

“In about two weeks, LaPorte is about to open our eight new pickleball courts, too. I wanted to come out to see what the Valparaiso design looks like. I love that each court here was created with its own paddle racks to make it easy to keep track of your racket from home. Our LaPorte mayor, Tom Dermody, plays pickleball. I’m going to suggest these two mayors have a pickleball playoff.”

Molly Brust, 30, of Valparaiso, brought her paddles to play a 20-minute session against her pal Karley Wajda, 24, of LaPorte.

“It’s great exercise for me since I started playing pickleball nearly two years ago,” Brust said.

“Pickleball also creates a nice sense of community, too. These new courts are spaced just right to provide the opportunity for some shared space to talk and meet other people playing.”

In recent years, the Valparaiso Parks Department has converted low-traffic former basketball and tennis hard-surface outdoor courts into pickleball courts at Bicentennial Park, 175 Burlington Beach Road, Tower Park at 1000 Franklin St., and Kirchhoff Park at 400 Roosevelt Road. The Valparaiso YMCA at 1201 Cumberland has three indoor pickleball courts.

The sport can be played with single players or double teams and uses a low net and lined boundary courts with paddles swatting an aerated, light, plastic, bright yellow, green or orange ball, like a Wiffle ball. The game score goes up 11 points, with the winner needing to win by two points, making it similar to tennis scoring.

Pickleball enthusiast Linda Rodenbarger of Valparaiso also spoke during the opening remarks at Monday’s ribbon cutting.

“The timing is so ideal for these new courts to open just as the pickleball courts at Kirchoff Park will now close for that park’s renovations,” said Rodenbarger, who has helped coordinate pickleball teams and competition tiers using an app called TeamReach.

“I knew nothing about pickleball until about two years ago, while in Florida, when I was told about it and gave it a try. I came home to Valparaiso and started telling others about pickleball. It’s a sport that has a great sense of community, and it’s great for all ages.”

Parks included in the rePLAY initiative are Kirchhoff Park, Fairgrounds Park, Tower Park, ValPlayso, Foundation Meadows Park, Rogers Lakewood Park, Ogden Botanical Gardens, Glenrose South Park, Will Park and Banta Park.

“The rePLAY initiative is a direct result of ongoing public input and our comprehensive Parks Master Plan,” Nuppnau said.

“This initiative will not only improve our existing parks but also ensure they continue to serve as vital community gathering places.”

Nuppnau said the rePLAY initiative is funded using the bond proceeds that were originally earmarked for the proposed sports park, shelved last year because of the excessive cost, to now put the bond funding to immediate use for long-term benefits.

To learn more about the rePLAY initiative and stay updated on project timelines and community engagement opportunities, visit https://valpoparks.org/709/Parks-rePLAY.

Philip Potempa is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.