Take a look inside Vegas Indoor Pickleball, and you’ll be greeted by the scene of players all involved in lively matches across its indoor courts. Among the hustle and bustle, you’ll often find owner Nina Lemansky sharing their enthusiasm and receiving high-fives as players leave the playing areas, their smiling faces dripping with sweat.
The Good
Nina’s establishment has come a long way in a short time. It only opened last autumn and has already had pickleball royalty Tyson McGuffin visit on one occasion.
The Need For More Indoor Courts
As interest in pickleball has surged in the Las Vegas Valley, the need for more indoor courts has become painfully evident. For Lemansky, who got fed up with the sting of sunscreen dripping into her eyes during outdoor matches, this indoor setting offers a respite from such inconveniences, ensuring pickleballers can enjoy uninterrupted play regardless of the weather.
Lemansky puts the sport’s amazing popularity down to its status as a “social unity tool” and the fact it provides a level playing field when it comes to age and physical prowess.
“Never Been Athletic”
“Some of the best pickleball players have never been athletic,” she told Review-Journal. They seem to be able to play the game well and enjoy a game that has a little bit of competition and a lot of socialization.”
Las Vegas’ love affair with pickleball is clear when you consider that two national events are taking place here this year, with tournaments scheduled at prestigious venues like the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Darling Tennis Center.
To accommodate the surging demand, Clark County is expanding its pickleball infrastructure, adding community courts to parks across the region and incorporating pickleball facilities into upcoming park projects.
“Over the past few years, the sport has become popular in Clark County, just as everywhere else,” says Richard A. Mueller, public information coordinator for Clark County Parks and Recreation. He explains that community courts have been added at Sunset, Echo Trail, Bob Price, Sunrise, Cougar Creek, Lone Mountain Regional, and Hollywood parks. Over the next year, additional courts will also appear as part of two other park projects.
“We plan to incorporate it into future projects. In addition to park projects, many gymnasiums have been lined up to offer indoor pickleball during select days and hours.”
A 24/7 Operation
Lemansky’s plans to keep up with demand are to transform Vegas Indoor Pickleball into a 24/7 operation, taking inspiration from other round-the-clock fitness facilities in the area. For newcomers like Mireya Chavarria, introduced to the sport by Lemansky, pickleball has quickly become an integral part of her life: “ It’s a stress relief,” she says. “Honestly, it does make you feel different.”
Read another of our articles about the Las Vegas pickleball scene here.
The Bad
The proprietors of a pickleball emporium in Las Vegas’s Summerlin enclave have reported a spate of two thefts in the past month. In a bid to unearth the culprits and discover why they have been targeted, they are now appealing to the community for assistance.
“A Lot Of Hard Work”
Alessandra Wheeler and Evan Stanko, the couple behind G.O.A.T Pickleball, made their dismay clear to Channel 13 regarding the recent robberies.
“We’re a small business,” Wheeler said. “It’s just Evan and me. We put a lot of hard work into this. We’re in the community. It’s just terrible that people are willing to steal from local people.”
Both episodes were captured by surveillance cameras, revealing that the initial incident took place towards the end of February, out of non-business hours. Wheeler recounted how the intruder managed to gain access to the premises by unlocking the front entrance and subsequently absconded with several items, as depicted in the video footage.
The second incident unfolded this time during regular business hours on a Friday while Stanko was attending to a customer. Surveillance footage revealed how the perpetrator surreptitiously slipped a paddle into their jacket.
Stringent Security Measures
Despite implementing stringent security measures following the initial breach, including multiple locks and surveillance cameras, Wheeler was understandably frustrated by her inability to thwart the subsequent theft.
“After the first break-in, we have just about every security protocol you can think of,” she said. “I mean, multiple locks, security cameras. But when something like this happens, and people are just able to walk in and steal stuff, there’s really no stopping it.”
Wheeler and Stanko have lodged reports with law enforcement for both incidents, urging anyone with pertinent information to reach out to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
These incidents aren’t the first reports of theft from our nation’s pickleball stores. Read more here.
