Pickleball Vandalism Spikes in 2024
Last Edited
Sep 06 2024
Category
News
Here we go again. Another vandalized pickleball court. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: we need a masked pickleball vigilante, pronto.
Pickleball courts in Allendale Charter Township were recently dealt a brutal blow.
Fences specifically built by a local pickleball group, designed to make the courts safer, were destroyed over two consecutive days at the end of August.
"They hit us on Friday, and then came back," said one group leader. The group's players found their custom-built metal fences twisted, ripped, and tossed aside.
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The fencing was there for a reason: preventing balls from rolling onto other courts, stopping unnecessary falls, and keeping the game safe.
Local players raised $1,000 to install these fences, built to fit township guidelines and designed with rubber feet to avoid damaging the courts. One of the group's members apparently had her husband weld them together.
Now, the group has new fences thanks to recent donations, but the concern lingers.
Why would someone do this? How could this give them joy?
Local law enforcement is investigating. But this is far, far from the only destructive pickleball incident within the last year.
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2024: The Year of Pickleball Vandalism?
Pickleball courts nationwide have been under attack in 2024.
From floor markings at a Cold Spring gym causing a cancellation of play, to brand new courts in Wellsville City being vandalized within hours of opening, it seems like pickleball-themed destruction is on the rise.
In Chino Valley, CA, vandals stole copper wire, plunging the courts into darkness.
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In Riverside Park, NY, police chased down leads after multiple courts were intentionally damaged.
The question remains: what’s driving this anti-pickleball sentiment? Could it be the tennis crowd, or just grumpy neighbors?
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