Cayman’s first pickleball complex has only been open for three months but there are already plans to expand the multi-million-dollar facility with more courts and more sports.
Pickleball Cayman manager Steve Thompson says the expansion won’t stop there, as other sporting disciplines are expected to be added to the site.
“We’re expanding into sports other than pickleball,” Thompson told the Cayman Compass in a recent interview. “We’ll have some tennis courts on the way in about two or three weeks, and eventually will be adding in some cricket and baseball batting cages. [We] are kind of feeling it out, seeing what people want. We’ve got a lot of space that we can expand into.”
Thompson said the support for the popular facility from the community has been overwhelming, and he wants to create a complex where everyone can enjoy the sport they love.
“[We] want to recognise what sports people want and, if we can accommodate them, we’ll do our best to do that,” Thompson said.
The facility already has 12 courts, and 10 more are on the way, he said.
“By the end of the year, we’ll have 22 [pickleball] courts, three tennis courts, [and] batting cages on the way soon.”
Pickleball is a relatively new sport to Cayman, but it has been around since the 1960s and is widely popular in the US.
Passion for pickleball
Thompson, an avid tennis play, found his passion for pickleball when he first started playing two years ago. He dreamed of a facility where the sport would be embraced in the community and players could play competitively.
The vision for the pickleball complex, he said, started with a conversation and an introductory game in the backyard of his business partner and Pickleball Cayman owner Jerry Beck.
“He was putting on a little intro clinic for some friends and I joined along… [I] pretty much immediately fell in love with the game. One of the first nights that I was playing there after the clinic, I just got to talking with him and we recognised that the sport was going to explode in Cayman,” he said.
Beck’s backyard in South Sound became the temporary headquarters of the Cayman’s growing pickleball movement.
Thompson said, after the clinic, he, Beck and a few others began working towards construction of the first pickleball facility to “capitalise on the growth before it got too big”.
“At the time, we were expecting there’s probably 400 to 500 people playing in Cayman and we just knew that there needed to be an outlet for them that was bigger than Jerry’s backyard. The main focus that we have here is creating an area for family entertainment, wellness, exercise, and just really being a healthy hub for Cayman,” he said.
The goal was to get 1,000 players by the end of the year, but that goal was obliterated shortly when doors officially opened.
“We hit a thousand people in three weeks and, at this point, I think we are just a few members shy of 3,000,” Thompson said. “In about three months, 3,000 members is huge. I think that’s roughly one in every 28 people in Cayman, which is a pretty impressive accomplishment, I think.”
Pickleball may be fairly new to Cayman, but it is a sport for everyone, and he wants to see more people playing.
“It’s an incredibly social game. You’re in very close quarters… you’re 15 feet away from your opponents when you’re playing, and it’s a fun way to get out, get exercise, socialise with people and just have fun,” he said.
Thompson hopes one day to see the sport elevated to Olympic level.
“This is my passion. I’d love to see it get the kind of global recognition that I feel like it deserves. I know we kind of missed the boat for the upcoming Olympics in the US, but they have their sights set [for the next one],” he said.
More than sports
The pickleball facility is built on Thompson family land and is located near Bobby Thompson Way.
Thompson said when they were looking at location, his family property checked all the boxes in terms of location and accessibility.
“It’s right in the heart of the island,” he explained. “People coming from West Bay or Prospect or East End all congregate around here. It’s central to the schools. It’s central to a bunch of the work complexes, as well. The location was key.”
The complex is not only limited to sports – there is a kids play park and a new restaurant, called The Roost, was recently opened.
“Pickleball is the focus here, but beyond that, we want to just be a welcoming environment for families, for people coming down if they just want to grab some food. We have an amazing restaurant on site, as well,” he said.
Thompson said local schools are also using the facility for physical education classes and there are camps being hosted to encourage fitness and a love for pickleball.
He said the sport is one of the cheaper disciplines and require little equipment.
As he looked to the future, Thompson said he wants to eventually add a football pitch and cricket pitch to the facility.
However, for now, he would like to boost the local pickleball fraternity.
“One of my goals is to bring one of the professional tournaments here and also send some of our better players off to play in some some professional tournaments,” he said.
While the courts are rented hourly, Thompson said membership at Pickleball Cayman is free and the restaurant is open to the public.
Related Videos
