Words used to describe the sport of pickleball have included “addicting” and “life-changing.”
And when it comes to the question of whether Hawaii County needs more pickleball courts and where, answers have included many forms of “yes” and, to quote Na‘alehu Park Recreation Director Elijah Navarro, “Wherever you can fit a court.”
Since the sport’s popularity exploded in the wake of the pandemic, courts meant for tennis, volleyball and badminton have been taped or re-painted with new lines to suit the needs of pickleball, but the many options islandwide still fall short of meeting the demand by players who would, for some, prefer to play multiple times per day.
“While Old (Kona) Airport park now has 15 pickleball courts, I should point out that, particularly during winter months, there has been as many as 100 people playing at once, creating long wait times,” said Mike Carey, president of the Big Island Rogue Pickleball Hui.
The county in November 2024 added six brand new courts specifically designated for pickleball to Kailua Park. Efforts to keep up with the needs of the ever-growing pickleball federation countywide will continue with planned reconstruction and restriping of tennis courts at Na‘alehu Park and Ainaola Park in Hilo. Both of these projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, Parks and Recreation Director Clayton Honma said.
“Recreation is so important, not only for the physical activity, but the socialization of everyone is also important for mental health,” Honma said of the county’s support for pickleball. “They’re getting both physical exercise and keeping themselves mentally and spiritually healthy as well.”
Navarro commended Honma and Recreation Administrator Lindsey Iyo for supporting any equipment needs he’s had, like when he tested a “pilot league” that brought 14 players together for five weeks of games that ended in March.
“Pickleball is really good for the community,” said Navarro.
Navarro said County Council member Michelle Galimba, whose district includes Na‘alehu, also has helped support the growth of pickleball by securing funding that reduces fees for Na‘alehu’s “Summer Fun” youth program from $100 to $40 which “helps local families in the Ka‘u area.”
Navarro teaches two beginner pickleball classes per week in Na‘alehu, along with one intermediate class where players can improve their shots and learn about developing strategies.
He said he’s considering adding a third beginner class if interest continues to grow. The age range in the beginner class is between 15 and 91 years old, he said.
“As a tennis player, I started around 10 (years old) and played with the older generation,” Navarro said of the value of intermixed age groups. “Hearing the stories they have to tell brings up a big respect for kupuna when younger kids have the opportunity to just hang around doing things that both the older and younger enjoy doing.”
Another person sharing pickleball with people of all ages is Connie Yoshiyama, who facilitates the sport for the Kamana Senior Center and will also be teaching classes through Hawaii Community College during the summer. She saw the desire for pickleball explode among seniors who joined her beginners class in 2024, when she had to create a second class to accommodate the 184 kupuna who registered.
“We definitely have more participants,” Yoshiyama said. “Not long ago, we had less than 50 at any Friday class. Now, we may have more than 70 on nine courts.”
Kamana Senior Center players have been utilizing the courts at the Pana‘ewa Park Gym for every season except summer since 2016, Yoshiyama said, adding that Kamana summer classes will take place in the Waiakea Uka Gym and the Butler Building at the Ho‘olulu Complex, where avid pickleballers frequently use the three outdoor tennis courts for pickleball.
Yoshiyama said the Pana‘ewa Gym is the largest venue available to the Hilo senior center, allowing participants to play tournaments in an “ideal” indoor environment. However, she said the seniors are eager for the county to make the nine pickleball courts they create there more permanent.
“We have been waiting months for the county to paint the last three courts,” she said at the end of May. “Presently, we lay out string to mark the court areas every Friday. Will we ever get these painted in?”
Yoshiyama said that, in addition to the completion of the Pana‘ewa painting, she’d like to see more courts at Ho‘olulu and in Ainaola Park, as well as a resurfacing of the Pahoa Gym because “that surface is not suitable for pickleball” and fixing it would help “players in that area instead of having to drive the distance to Hilo.”
“Folks want more courts and more rules of use at each court site,” she said, explaining that if the county posted placards with rules, the rotation of play would flow more smoothly.
With over 20 established locations to play countywide, an individual seeking a court would have to sift through Google results or visit websites like pickleheads.com, places2play.org, or pickleballify.com. However, Honma said Parks and Recreation plans to add the sport to the department’s Facilities and Parks online directory later this summer.
Email Kyveli Diener at kdiener@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
