MORGANTOWN, W.Va. Mylan Park officially opened six new pickleball courts with the help of financial support from the governor’s office, donations, and fundraising efforts of the Mylan Park Pickleball Club.
Sarah Gnegy is the local pickleball pro, and she and her brother won the gold medal in the 2018 Pickleball U.S. Open in Naples, Florida. Gnregy also teaches the sport to all ages and operates leagues for all levels of competition at Mylan Park.
“People really don’t have anywhere to go, let alone a state-of-the-art facility like this that has amazing surfaces and windscreens separating individual courts,” Gnegy said. “For Morgantown and the tri-state area, this is amazing.”
Local player Seth Tanner said these new courts are not only the best in the area, but they are really the only courts for the time being. BOPARC is reconfiguring tennis courts at Marilla Park to pickleball, and there are plans for a six-court complex, but it won’t be completed until 2026, according to Tanner.
“We’ve had to play on second-rate courts, and we felt like we deserved better, and now they’re finally starting to crop up, and these courts are beautiful,” Tanner said.
Statistics show pickleball has grown in popularity by more than 200 percent over the last three years, and more than 35 million people play regularly nationwide. The largest age bracket to participate in the sport is the 55 and older crowd, but the average age of pickleball players has dropped 38 since 2021. The game is played on a baseball-sized court with a perforated ball and wooden paddles.
“A lot of young adults and older folks are looking for things to do—ways to stay active, be healthy, and meet other people,” Gnagy said. “That’s what I’m presenting to people now, and Pickleball is that.”
My Park Pass members can reserve the courts for play, and open play will be offered at the facility.
“We’re trying to make it so people can just show up and they can play,” Gnegy said. “We will have a four-on, four-off rotation set up, so if you come and there’s a wait, you get in line, we all rotate in and rotate off, and everybody gets their play time.”
Gnegy is sponsored by Selkirk Sports, a top name in pickleball equipment, and offers lessons for all ages at Mylan Park. This fall, four-week leagues are offered to the public with awards for 1st through third place; the cost to enter is $60.
“I also run shootouts in the summer, and those are super competitive, and you actually play for cash,” Gnegy said. “Which always brings in people and brings excitement.”