Sandpoint staff outline Sports Center plan: pursue USTA partnership, expand programs and fix facility issues

Sandpoint parks staff reported a package of operational changes, partnerships and repairs for the city’s Sports Center, saying they will pursue a relationship with the United States Tennis Association Pacific Northwest (USTA PNW), expand programming for tennis and pickleball, introduce a volunteer-driven staffing model and correct safety and mechanical problems in the building.

Parks staff summarized two primary options under consideration: continue operating the center primarily as a tennis/pickleball facility (with or without a formal USTA partnership) or pursue a multi-sport adaptation that would add one or more courts or specialized surfaces. “We’re gonna pursue this relationship with USTA,” the staff member told commissioners, citing USTA PNW’s youth program catalog and a low operational burden for the city.

Staff emphasized that the USTA model would require only modest additional staff effort while offering youth programming and tournament support; staff said a key USTA request is that any multi-sport conversions be reversible within two hours so the space can resume full tennis play quickly. Staff also described local pickleball interest and programs; Charles Bomerino, a local teaching pro referenced in…