YMCA Pickleball Center at Downingtown is scheduled to open in summer of 2023 and boasts nine dedicated indoor courts

WEST CHESTER – The YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW) announces the opening of a dedicated pickleball facility, YMCA Pickleball Center at Downingtown, slated to open in summer 2023. The new facility will bring the organization’s total to 52 pickleball courts – 32 indoor and 20 outdoor, and further cements YGBW as the home for pickleball in Chester County.

“We are excited to add a dedicated facility for pickleball play,” shares Jackie Canan, Senior Director of Pickleball at YGBW. “While we already have a huge number of courts and hundreds of hours of leveled open play each week, the addition of Pickleball Center will allow us to provide an exceptional experience with professional quality court surfaces and lighting and dedicated pickleball staff.”

The new YMCA Pickleball Center at Downingtown, located on Skelp Level Road near the Downingtown Post Office, will help to meet the growing demand for more court time from current YGBW members. The Center will be open more than 80 hours per week and offers nine dedicated pickleball courts.

To play at the YMCA Pickleball Center at Downingtown, you must purchase a Pickleball Center membership. A limited number of memberships will be sold in order to provide a positive member experience and manage demand for court time. Presales will open on Monday, April 3 at 12 PM and special promotions are available for the first 500 members who join.

Wide Appeal Leads to High Demand
“Pickleball is a sport that keeps players asking for more,” comments Denise Day, President and CEO of YGBW. “The sport is easy for newcomers to learn – but also provides a challenge for more experienced players. This leveled aspect to pickleball contributes to its wide appeal because people of all ages and all abilities can play.”

The wide appeal of pickleball has led to increased demand for court time at the existing courts operated by YGBW.

“We are proud of the amount of court time that we offer our members currently,” says Canan. “We offer hundreds of hours of pickleball playtime each week. And that’s still not enough to meet demand! We’ve heard member feedback and are excited to offer a dedicated pickleball experience. The addition of this new facility also helps free up some capacity on our existing courts so that we can expand pickleball offerings to serve youth and welcome the next generation of players.”

YMCA Pickleball Center Membership
Those interested in playing at the YMCA Pickleball Center at Downingtown can choose from two membership types – one for current YGBW members and one for non-members.

"We’re opening sales of Pickleball Center memberships to YGBW members first,” shares Canan, “to ensure that our members can secure a membership at this new facility. We know that demand will be high, and we are limiting memberships so that we can provide a great member experience.”

Those interested in purchasing a membership when presales open on April 3 will need to have a YGBW membership. Presales open to the community on April 17 at Noon if spaces remain. Pricing begins at $59/month for YGBW members and $99/month for non-YGBW members.

Looking Ahead
The YMCA of Greater Brandywine has plans to add additional pickleball courts in the latter half of 2023 and is proud to host the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) Philadelphia Open in August – part of the 2023 APP Tour.

“I am excited to see where this sport continues to go,” shares Day, “and to continue to introduce new players to the game. We host regular introductory classes for those looking to learn how to play pickleball as well as private lessons for those looking to build their skills.”

“It wasn’t too long ago that I was trying to understand the appeal of pickleball and its quick rise to popularity,” shares Canan, who also leads group exercise and virtual programming for the organization. “Now, I find myself playing a few times a week – partly because I love picking up new skills but mostly because of the social element. I have met so many great people through playing, and I look forward to continuing to welcome new faces to the game.”

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Learn more about the YMCA Pickleball Center at Downingtown https://ymcagbw.org/locations/ymca-pickleball-center-downingtown
Learn more about Pickleball Center membership types https://ymcagbw.org/blog/membership-types-ymca-pickleball-center-downingtown