Pickleball has been named the fastest growing sport in the United States for the past four years and it is estimated that there were close to 20 million participants in the United States in 2024. Now Bellevue residents will have even more opportunities to try out this sport as the City of Bellevue’s Recreation Department has officially opened the new pickleball courts at Everett Park to the public.
These four-brand new pickleball courts are regulation size and located in Everett Park on the Northeast corner of Betz Road and Englewood Drive. All four courts will be fully lit later this fall as soon as the lights come in, but the city wanted to get the courts open as soon as possible so residents can enjoy them as much as possible while the weather is nice.
This project was the brainchild of Bellevue Parks & Recreation Director Jim Shada and his team. Since Mr. Shada was unavailable for the official opening of the courts, earlier this week, Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike joined with City Councilman Jerry McCaw in the first game played on these courts against avid pickleball players, former Councilwoman Kathy Saniuk and her husband Dr. Robert Saniuk. I am not going to report who won these first points played but I did notice Mayor Hike and Councilman McCaw running all over the courts chasing down shots 
. It was also great to see former Councilman Dave Sanborn and his wife Elaine out on the courts watching the action.
Thank you to Jim Shada, the Bellevue Recreation Department, and the Bellevue Public Works Department for making these courts a reality. They join the existing courts at Thompson Park and Sorenson Park to provide 10 dedicated regulation pickleball courts in our community.