Players Have Begun Petition to Restore Hours
By Michael Hernandez
A group of pickleball players are waving their paddles in frustration after a reduction of hours at the North Clairemont Recreation Center leaves them without a court to play on.
New hours of operation, as part of city council-approved budget cuts, went into effect for at least 16 different rec centers in San Diego at the end of last month, including at the North Clairemont Rec Center at Officer Austin Machitar Memorial Park.
For years, a tight-knit band of pickleball players have called the facility home, taking advantage of the free pickleball lessons offered every Tuesday and Thursday at 9 a.m. and the open-play from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. However, under the new schedule, hours of operation would drop from 60 down to 40 hours, and the center would not open on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 2 p.m., virtually eliminating their routine morning games.
Members of the group say those morning games are an important part of their social life, according to one member who assists in instructing the free pickleball lessons. The group is so close they gather for potlucks on holidays like Christmas and even dress up in costumes for Halloween.
Even though the courts are still open later in the day, players say by then it is too hot for them to play, and other sports may already be occupying the court. The cancellation of the free beginner lessons particularly affects people who have limited options for where to play, as some of the beginner players can not physically play elsewhere due to disabilities, or recent surgery. As if disrupting the morning routine of long-time players wasn’t enough, the reduction of hours for the rec center could contribute to longer wait times at other courts due to the influx of people looking for somewhere else to play.
The passionate pack of pickleball players are not sitting idly by as their favorite hobby and exercise activity is taken away from them however, as there is currently a petition going around to restore the morning open-play hours that they plan to take to the San Diego City Council. Currently that petition has gained more than 100 signatures.
There is also another petition from the “pickleball players, athletes, taxpayers, and residents of Carmel Valley, Torrey Hills, and Pacific Highlands Ranch” demanding the City of San Diego Parks and Rec Department and their district (Council District 1) stop budget cuts to protect and maintain open-play hours across their recreation centers, explore community and volunteer solutions in order to keep centers operating at full capacity, and resolve long-standing maintenance issues at their pickleball courts. As of Monday September 7th, that petition has gathered more than 160 signatures.
In a statement to a local news outlet, the City of San Diego said the reduction of hours was implemented to address budget constraints after they were faced with a $118 million budget shortfall, adding in part:
“The City understands that the change to pickleball hours at the North Clairemont Recreation Center is an adjustment for residents who regularly use the facility in the morning. Residents looking for morning pickleball opportunities can also use Nobel and Standley rec centers which offer pickleball access during morning hours. Updated recreation center hours are available on the City’s Parks and Recreation website. Residents can also contact Parks and Recreation staff with questions or feedback about programming and schedules.”
The reduced hours at the North Clairemont Recreation Center are estimated to save the city roughly $92,000 a year. Here’s a list of other San Diego recreation centers who also had their hours cut as of August 29:
- Tierrasanta Recreation Center
- San Carlos Recreation Center
- Allied Gardens Recreation Center
- Ocean Beach Recreation Center (for more information on the drastic cuts to the OB Recreation Center and Point Loma Library, check out this story from the Rag!)
- Cabrillo Recreation Center
- Serra Mesa Recreation Center
- Kearny Mesa Recreation Center
- La Jolla Recreation Center
- Pacific Beach Recreation Center
- Hilltop Recreation Center
- Black Mountain Gym
- Ocean Air Recreation Center
- Scripps Ranch Recreation Center
- Carmel Mountain Ranch/Sabre Springs Recreation Center
- Rancho Bernardo Recreation Center
