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Altitude Athletic Surface worker Ron Alexander spreads paint on one of the eight pickleball courts at the new Springs Pickleball Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. The indoor pickleball facility opens Saturday, Oct. 1, at the former Trampoline World in Colorado Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Altitude Athletic Surface worker Ron Alexander spreads paint on one of the eight pickleball courts at the new Springs Pickleball Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, while his co-worker Jesus Hernandez waits to pour more paint. The indoor pickleball facility opens Saturday, Oct. 1, at the former Trampoline World in Colorado Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Altitude Athletic Surface worker Ron Alexander spreads paint on one of the eight pickleball courts at the new Springs Pickleball Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. The indoor pickleball facility opens Saturday, Oct. 1, at the former Trampoline World in Colorado Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Altitude Athletic Surface worker Ron Alexander spreads paint on one of the eight pickleball courts at the new Springs Pickleball Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. The indoor pickleball facility opens Saturday, Oct. 1, at the former Trampoline World in Colorado Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Altitude Athletic Surface worker Ron Alexander spreads paint on one of the eight pickleball courts at the new Springs Pickleball Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. The indoor pickleball facility opens Saturday, Oct. 1, at the former Trampoline World in Colorado Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Pickleball is in and trampolines are out on Colorado Springs' northwest side.
Springs Pickleball, an indoor complex that will offer eight full-size courts and amenities such as a players lounge, gym and private party room, will open next month at 780 Vondelpark Drive, southwest of Interstate 25 and Garden of the Gods Road.—
The complex takes over a building that formerly housed Trampoline World Gymnastics, which closed a few years ago.
Co-owner Scott Evans, who's launching Springs Pickleball with his wife, Susan, said the facility will be one of the largest indoor pickleball complexes in the state and the biggest indoor venue in the Springs.
It debuts Oct. 1-2 with an open house each day that will allow the public to tour the complex and play for free; Springs resident Scott Moore, who's been ranked as the world's No. 1 senior male pickleball player, will be on hand to sign copies of his book on improved pickleball play.
During a grand opening Oct. 3-9, Springs Pickleball will offer a week of drop-in play — no reservations needed — for a $10 fee. Afterward, players can pay to reserve court space or to participate in drop-in play; monthly memberships also will be available.
Altitude Athletic Surface worker Ron Alexander spreads paint on one of the eight pickleball courts at the new Springs Pickleball Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, while his co-worker Jesus Hernandez waits to pour more paint. The indoor pickleball facility opens Saturday, Oct. 1, at the former Trampoline World in Colorado Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Pickleball, invented in 1965, combines elements of tennis, badminton and pingpong. Its simple rules allow it to be played by all ages, providing participants with a chance for competition and exercise, according to the USA Pickleball Association, based in suburban Phoenix.
Evans, who also owns and heads Outreach Inc., a Springs-based media company that creates signs, banners, digital marketing campaigns and other products for churches and nonprofits, said he only started playing the sport about 1½ years ago but quickly fell in love with it.
"I was a tennis player in high school," Evans said. "When I started playing pickleball, it was just great exercise and then just a great way to meet people. It's very social."
He heard from pickleball players about a shortage of indoor courts. Evans, who also owns commercial properties and has remodeled some commercial buildings, began looking for a space that could accommodate indoor pickleball courts.
The 25,000-square-foot, two-story Trampoline World building fit the bill, Evans said; a limited liability company he formed purchased the building for $3.3 million in June, El Paso County land records show.
The building is large enough to house multiple pickleball courts and has an open floor plan that means there will be no poles or pillars to disrupt court play. High ceilings, which are 35 feet tall in some spots, also will mean that players won't have to worry about banging balls off overhead obstructions, he said.
The main floor will have six courts; two more will be on the second floor, where a mezzanine will allow views of the first-floor courts.
"We haven't had to move a single wall," Evans said of remodeling the building. "It's just laid out perfectly, specifically for pickleball players."
Socialization is a big part of pickleball's popularity, and Springs Pickleball will have features to accommodate players who enjoy getting together, Evans said.
An indoor lounge has been designed to look and feel like an outdoor patio with Trex decking, artificial turf, a pergola, bistro lights, patio furniture and an 86-inch, wall-mounted television.
Evans expects to obtain a liquor license by November for a bar that will offer snacks and serve beer, wine and cocktails; a 40-foot-long, wall-mounted bar top will allow players to sit on stools and look through windows to the courts.
Other amenities include a pair of player changing rooms; a shower room; a private room that can be rented for parties and corporate events; a dinking room where players can practice pickleball shots and skills; and a second-floor gym with exercise equipment and a window that looks out to first-floor courts.
Pickleball is now the fastest growing sport in the country, the USA Pickleball Association says. Participants grew by just over 39% from 2020 to 2021, and totaled 4.8 million nationwide, the association said in February, citing figures from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, a sporting goods and fitness industry trade group.
Because of the sport's popularity, pickleball courts are in demand and indoor facilities are welcomed because players don't have to worry about rain, snow or wind.
Springs Pickleball will be the ninth indoor facility in Colorado Springs, according to court locations compiled by the Pikes Peak Pickleball Association.
Another indoor facility that was planned for the former Stein Mart department store, in the University Village Colorado shopping center northwest of Garden of the Gods Road and Nevada Avenue, never materialized.
A dozen outdoor facilities also are listed on the Pikes Peak Pickleball Association's website, including city-owned Monument Valley Park and El Paso County's Bear Creek Regional Park.
The Small Business Administration's Colorado district is accepting nominations for 2023 National and District Small Business Week awards.
Business writer, Colorado Springs Gazette
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