After half a decade in development, Los Banos opened their nine city pickleball courts to the public at the city’s Ag Sports Complex.
In a two-hour opening event, which began at 9 a.m., the mayor, council members, pickleball club members, and city staff cut the ribbon and played the first games on the court.
The new pickleball courts are in between the dog park and north baseball diamond. Ranch Tacos provided the food. For the smaller kids, two bounce houses provided some entertainment.
The newly built courts fit into a rectangle. A central north-south walkway splits eight courts. Another walkway in the middle connects the ninth court. Two larger shades cover the entrances for the first four courts. With a smaller shade covering the entrance for the fifth and sixth.
The crowd in attendance was a sea of blue shirts from the local club. Mayor Michael Amabile began the ceremony and described the courts as “Christmas in July.” He specifically recognized the patience it took to move the idea from vision to reality.
Laurie Balatti, one of the club founders in 2015, was emotional in her speech. She said that the sport, by including all ages, is a reminder that we are “not meant to do life alone.” The slogan of the park reflects this idea, ‘Arrive as a stranger, leave as a friend.’
During the ceremony a bench was dedicated to another club founder and former Los Banos Police Officer, Bob Zavala. A friend of Zavala, Rene Erratchu, reminisced that he was the “donut whisperer” of the club.
Parks and Recreation Director Joe Heim recognized all the staff and contractors involved in the project. “For nearly two years, many of these individuals did spend almost every Friday together on Zoom discussing this project and countless hours out here on site. I appreciate all of their help getting us here,” Heim said.
Heim and council member Marcus Chavez recognized the passion of the club. “Your passion for this sport, your advocacy over the years, is what brought us here,” Heim told the club.
Mayor Pro-Tem Deborah Lewis and Mayor Amabile used two over-sized scissors to cut the ribbon to the park. The crowd quickly filled up the middle walkway to watch the first game. Amabile, Lewis, Chavez, Heim and City Manager Nirorn Than played the first game. They were given golden paddles and balls. Amabile served first.
Following the first game, the other courts began opening up. Dayna Valadao, another club member, immediately started directing beginner lessons on the first four courts. The courts and walkways were packed with Los Banos residents of all ages.
Karthik Prasad, representative for Congressman Adam Gray said Los Banos, “knocked it out of the park.” Alondra Jimenez, for Assemblywoman Esmerelda Soria hoped that the courts would be a “lasting place of recreation.” Joe Ballas, for State Senator Anna Caballero, said as a pickleball fan himself, “(these) are the best pickle ball courts I’ve ever seen in the Central Valley.”
Local Poet Kathy Pon delivered a poem at the ceremony. “May our courts welcome the stranger, invite the learner, enshrine our custom to offer encouragement to fellow competitors.” She continued, “Let us say today and for years to come, we belong. We belong to this court, to this place, to this group. Los Banos pickleball, we are the spirit of community thriving.”
