The pickleball in New York conquers the city. From August 26 to 30, Times Square Plaza will host CityPicklePalooza, a five-day free festival organized by CityPickle, which will temporarily transform one of Manhattan’s most crowded crossroads into a sports centre with the fastest growing racket in the United States.
Born in the 1960s but became a mass phenomenon especially in the last five years, the pickleball is a discipline that combines elements of tennis, badminton and tennis. It is played on a field of identical size to that of badminton — about 13 meters long and 6 meters wide — divided by a suspended net at a height slightly lower than that of tennis. Players use rigid and full racks, made of wood or composite materials, and a perforated plastic ball that guarantees a low rebound and reduced flight speed. The dynamics of the game is based on rapid exchanges but physically little impacting: they face singles or couples and the purpose is to drop the ball in the opponent’s field. One of the fundamental rules concerns the so-called “kitchen” (kitchen), an area of about two meters close to the network where it is forbidden to hit the ball on the fly, forcing players to wait for the bounce and avoiding close crushes. The points are assigned only to the team you need and the matches normally end when reaching the 11 points, with at least two points of discard.
The temporary initiative in Times Square coincides with the final stage of the Major League Pickleball, the American professional league, scheduled for the same days at Wollman Rink in Central Park. During the five days of the event, the square will host a professionally accessible playground for free every day from 9:00 to 18:00. In addition to the sessions open to enthusiasts and curious, the program includes performances by professional players of the league, Dj set and moments dedicated to social inclusion programs, with the participation of associations such as the Challenged Athletes Foundation, the National Women’s Pickleball Foundation and the citizen who proposes the pickleball as a motor activity adapted for patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
To participate in one-hour free game sessions, you need to book your turn through the CityPickle official site or application from the noon of the day before the one you choose. However, the organization will also provide a share of direct access without reservation on the spot, alongside the playing field several interactive stations and spaces curated by the technical sponsors of the event for the distribution of promotional material.
The setting up of a playground in the center of Manhattan confirms the evolution of the pickleball from niche recreational activities to urban phenomenon integrated in public space usage policies. The event shows how the sports disciplines with immediate accessibility are gradually finding space in the pedestrian areas of the big cities, offering free aggregation opportunities even in the densest and frequented urban contexts.
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