On Monday, September 14, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, City Council members and neighborhood leaders will hold a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. for six new pickleball courts at West Hills Park, located at 7624 Sheffield Drive.

Pickleball, which is a combination of tennis, ping pong and badminton, is a West Coast sport that is rapidly gaining popularity across the nation. On Monday, Mayor Rogero, City Council members and neighborhood leaders will cut the ribbon and open six new pickleball courts on the east end of West Hills Park.

The new pickleball courts replace two tennis courts. With the development of the new West Hills Tennis Facility on the west end of the park, the two tennis courts at Sheffield Drive on the park’s east end offered the opportunity to meet increasing demand for outdoor pickleball courts in Knoxville.

The City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation Department has been providing indoor pickleball at several recreation centers through both the children’s After School Program and through open pickleball play for adults, in which approximately 200 players participate. Pickleball was reported as the fastest-growing sport in the United States by NBC News in 2014.