Bringing Indoor Pickleball to Sonoma County YMCA: A Community Win!
By Keren Colsten
In 2023, I was searching for places for us to play pickleball indoors. Club members, Tina Brusnahan and Nancy Sumida, even came with me to look at one place, but that didn't pan out. I was researching all over the place. The biggest roadblock was the high cost of insurance combined with the rental cost, making the price of playing prohibitively expensive.
I visited my son, who lives in Indiana, and learned that the YMCA near him offered pickleball on certain days of the week. I got the name of the COO of the Sonoma County YMCA and sent her an email asking if they might be interested in adding pickleball to their offerings. I also sent her a link to the YMCA in Indiana, so she could see how they were able to incorporate it into their programs.
Luckily, Michelle Head, the COO, is a pickleball player and was a real supporter of the idea. In December 2024, I got an email from Michelle asking if I would be willing to meet with them to talk about adding pickleball to the Sonoma County YMCA.…..of course, I said yes! I invited our Club Treasurer, Keating Vogel, to go with me, and we met with Michelle and the director of Health and Wellness, Hailey Lawson.
Well, I am happy to announce that two indoor courts have been added to their activity center, and Keating and I helped them stripe one court. I was also able to donate some older paddles and balls. So now they are all set. And they have a paddle rack on the wall to help with the flow of play. Several of us went there to "try out the courts" and we met several Y members who are really excited about having pickleball as an offering.
Drop-in pickleball will be available on Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays in two-hour segments. At present, you will have to buy a "day pass" to play ($15), but it will give you access to all of the facilities (nice gym, cardio, weights, Olympic-sized swimming pool, day care, etc.). The cost is subject to change. One of the days might be designated as a "Learn to Play" session. I mentioned that some of our Club members might be willing to come over and help instruct people who want to learn how to play. Let me know if you are interested in helping with instruction.
Please check out their website (https://www.scfymca.org/.) There is a link at the top of the page for their class schedule.
Pickle on!
RPCSC members check out the new indoor courts at the Sonoma County YMCA in Santa Rosa