LET US PLAY!

Each petition signature will generate an immediate message to city officials, sending a powerful, urgent signal that our community stands together to stop the RSS proposal.
SIGN THE PETITION

June 2026 Update

Seattle Parks & Recreation has announced that implementation of the Outdoor Racquet Sports Strategy has been paused while additional community engagement takes place.

This is an encouraging sign that community voices are being heard.

SPR will hold additional public meetings in June to present findings from Phase 1 and gather additional community feedback.

While implementation has been paused, the process is not over, and community participation remains important.

SMPA appreciates everyone who signed the petition, attended meetings, submitted comments, and contacted elected officials. We look forward to working with SPR, the tennis community, and our neighbors to find solutions that work for everyone.

Attend one or all of the upcoming public meetings to learn more, hear SPR’s findings, and share your feedback.

Upcoming Public Meetings

SMPA RESPONSE TO THE RACQUET SPORTS STRATEGY

The pickleball community has come together in force to make our voices heard on the Seattle Parks and Recreation Racquet Sports Strategy (RSS) draft. We filled the room at the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners meeting on April 23, and showed up again in full at Bitter Lake Community Center on May 4.

We showed up. We spoke out.

Let’s keep the momentum going—join us and pack the public meeting on May 7 from 6–8 PM at Garfield Community Center and May 9 from 10:30-12:30 at Van Asselt Community Center.

This presentation, developed by SMPA with direct input from the community, was delivered to Seattle Parks and Recreation on May 5, 2026.

Download PDF

Join the SMPA and fight!

  • The attached maps illustrate how SPR's Racquet Sports Strategy (RSS) eliminates 36 pickleball courts from 7 locations.
  • The total number of pickleball courts in Seattle will decrease from 92 to 56 courts. Tennis will retain 114 tennis courts per SPR, more than double the courts of pickleball.
  • Pickleball growth far exceeds the prioritization and support given, outpacing tennis for 3 years, increasing 51% in 2023, 45% in 2024 and 22% in 2025. Why does the city of Seattle refuse to create court usage in pace with the stats?
  • All day open play at 7 locations in Seattle looks good on paper, until you realize the RSS budget won't resurface crumbling pickleball courts, forces players off courts they've been using for years, and forces players apart from established player communities and onto hubs and paired locations that won't exist until 2029, if we're lucky.

View the Outdoor Racquet Sports Strategy here.

 

Did you know:

  • Seattle was planning to shutter 7 pickleball locations and remove SMPA’s community-funded nets from those locations, starting June 22.
  • There was insufficient or no data provided to validate the proposed RSS plan.
  • The growth of pickleball far exceeds the prioritization and support given.
  • Badly needed pickleball court expansion plans aren’t supported in the RSS budget.
  • Seattle hasn’t resurfaced a pickleball court since 2023.
  • Seattle players seek to play on new courts in neighboring cities rather than Seattle’s crumbling pickleball courts.
  • Seattle is taking play away from underserved communities like Rainier Beach.
  • Seattle’s RSS is relying on private facilities to meet demand in the short and long term, when many players can’t afford this option.
  • Seattle continues to underrepresent the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., Washington’s official state sport.
 

Petition to Protect Our Seattle Pickleball Courts

  • Preserve existing pickleball access on these 36 dual-use courts until the new pickleball courts are built.
  • Force SPR to study alternatives that expand access for both tennis and pickleball players, rather than reducing court availability.
  • Ensure that new plans support the equity, inclusion, and community-building intrinsic to pickleball in Seattle’s parks.
 

What can I do?

Past Public Meetings

4/23 (Thur) 6pm – Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners (IN PERSON or VIRTUAL) ✅

  • 100 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

5/4 (Mon) 6:30pm – Bitter Lake Community Center (IN PERSON) ✅

  • Held at District 5, scheduled to lose 4 courts (Soundview)

5/7 (Thur) 7pm – Garfield Community Center (IN PERSON) ✅

5/9 (Sat) 10:30am – Van Asselt Community Center (IN PERSON) ✅

  • Held at District 2, scheduled to lose 12 courts (Rainier Beach and Brighton).

Write Letters. Request Meetings. 
Let Us Play!

Seattle Parks & Recreation’s proposed Racquet Sports Strategy will eliminate dual-use courts – 36 pickleball courts, across Seattle. Public hearings are approaching, and now is the time for pickleball players, families, and community members to speak up.

We support fair solutions that serve both tennis and pickleball players — not policies that reduce access to the Washington State Sport.

CITY COUNCIL

Five Seattle City Council districts are directly impacted by proposed pickleball court losses. Of those five impacted districts, four are represented by councilmembers who currently serve on the City Council Parks Committee — the committee responsible for oversight of Seattle Parks & Recreation. That means the decision-makers closest to this issue are already in positions to act.

PICKLEBALL Courts Lost by District

DistrictCouncilmemberParks Committee MemberArea (Courts)Courts Lost
District 1Rob SakaYesWest Seattle (Alki, Walt Hundley)8
District 2Eddie LinNoSouth Seattle (Rainier Beach,  Brighton)12
District 5Debora JuarezYes – ChairNorth Seattle (Soundview)4
District 6Dan StraussYesNorthwest Seattle (Gilman, Magnolia)12

Racquet Sports Strategy plans to close 36 pickleball courts on June 22.

 

 

Write a letter or email 

Include your full name and contact info for responses; handwritten or typed letters stand out more than email. 

  • Share your personal pickleball story: how you discovered the sport, what it brings to your life, and why these 36 courts matter to you.
  • Help your Councilmember understand, in your own words, how losing these courts would affect you and your community.
  • Your voice carries weight, and a handwritten letter shows real commitment.
  • End your letter with our tagline LET US PLAY!
ContactActionAddress / Email
Your City CouncilmemberWrite and mail a letterPO Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124-4025
Mayor Wilson 206-680-4000Write and mail a letterPO Box 94749, Seattle, WA 98124-4749
Board of Parks & Recreation Commissioners (BPRC)Send an emailPKS_BPRC@seattle.gov
 

Some Councilmembers have a link to “request a meeting” on their sites, or you can request by email. Tell them how you feel about the Racquet Sports Strategy!

  

How do I stay informed?