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Volunteer group gets green light to pilot Tuesday–Thursday pickleball league in Manteno
Summary
Jeff Dexter of Paddle Together Pickleball told the Property & Recreation Committee his volunteer group will pilot a Tuesday/Thursday league using six of the 10 courts, charging $5 per week and asking the village to collect fees to reduce organizer liability; the committee agreed to let sign-ups proceed and to list sign-up links on village channels.
Jeff Dexter, cofounder and director of Paddle Together Pickleball, told the Village of Manteno’s Property & Recreation Committee that his volunteer organization will run a pilot pickleball league on Tuesdays and Thursdays using six of the town’s 10 courts.
Dexter said Paddle Together has about 792 members and that a quick survey produced roughly 80 responses indicating interest. He proposed reserving six courts from 6 to 8 p.m., running the pilot for six weeks and charging a nominal fee of $5 per week to encourage commitment while keeping costs low. “Pickleball gave my life back,” Dexter said, describing the sport’s health and social benefits and urging the village to support organized play.
Committee members and Dexter discussed registration and liability. The chair recommended that registration fees be paid to the village rather than to the volunteer group so the village’s insurance would cover injuries rather than placing that responsibility on the nonprofit. Dexter said his group would like $5 of each weekly fee to cover balls, water and incidental costs and that any remaining funds could be returned to the village or used for park improvements.
Dexter said he could start sign-ups quickly and suggested a target start date of July 22. The committee asked Dexter to provide a sign-up link and materials for the village website and Facebook page; members agreed to allow the group to begin marketing and registration. The committee emphasized that courts should remain available for casual public play on other courts while the six specified courts are reserved for the pilot during the proposed hours.
The pilot will let the village evaluate demand, assess impacts on public use of the courts and consider future expansion or formal agreements if interest remains strong. The committee did not commit village funding for the pilot; it authorized the volunteer group to begin sign-ups and marketing and instructed staff to post registration information on village channels.
