For years, inmates at Northward Prison broke up their days by playing basketball, football and working out in the gym, but they have now been introduced to a new sport within the confines of its walls.
Inmates can try their hands at pickleball, Cayman’s latest sports craze, following the construction of a court at the prison.
The new court is located on the prison’s basketball court, which received a long-overdue facelift, as it had been marred by, among other things, weeds growing through the concrete cracks.
After weeks of renovations along with surfacing the pickleball court, the official opening took place Thursday, 3 Oct., with sponsors and government officials on hand for the ribbon-cutting of the now multipurpose court.
“Absolutely fantastic initiative and we were just thrilled to get involved in making this opportunity a reality,” Jerry Beck, owner of Pickleball Cayman on Smith Road, told the Compass, as he also thanked law firm McGrath Tonner for its sponsorship help.
The introduction of pickleball to the prison comes seven months after a new-and-improved gym was opened at the facility.
For Director of Prisons Daniel Greaves, the efforts to improve the gym and build a pickleball court are part of a greater emphasis on inmates’ well-being.
“It is so important in terms of the process of prisoners’ rehabilitation,” Greaves said. “We are taking a position, where we are looking at it scientifically in terms of their transition in prison and back into society, in terms of activity and staying healthy.”
Inmates with the necessary skills assisted in building the court alongside experts from Pickleball Cayman – something that Greaves said he is appreciative for.
“We are grateful for the support of the members from the pickleball club who came and who [helped] ensure that the court was done up to standard,” he said. “As you can see, it is beautiful.”
Introduction to pickleball
Jerry Archer was one of the prisoners admiring the new court. He said he had never heard of pickleball but was looking forward to learning how to play.
“I think it is a really nice facility,” Archer told the Compass. “I can’t wait to jump in myself, but I never knew anything about it. When I heard about it, I was like, ‘What is pickleball’?”
Archer went on to thank the sponsors of the court, saying, “This is a great addition to Northward; we needed it.
“It’s an extracurricular activity for the guys to do during exercise time and I think everyone is excited. I think whoever is interested will get into it.”
That interest is all that was needed to get going in the sport, according to Beck.
Social sport
“One of the main reasons that pickleball has gotten so popular, is because it’s such a social sport … it’s such an accessible sport because it is so easy to get instant gratification,” he said.
He added that people like Archer who haven’t heard of the sport, much less played it, still can hit the courts.
“Even if you haven’t played the sport before, it’s incredibly easy to enjoy yourself, whereas most sports you have to be quite good before you actually find it fun. That’s a big reason why pickleball is growing so fast,” Beck said.
“It’s a great workout, it’s great for your health but it’s also socially very good,” he said, pointing out the benefits to making the sport accessible to prisoners.
“Friendship, teamwork, cooperation, just overall assets for rehabilitation, and I think it’s very important, so I can’t think of a place more suited for donation of a pickleball court, than a prison.”
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