1 of 11
Photo by Jon Anderson
Jackson Smitherman plays on one of eight new pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
2 of 11
Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato cuts the ceremonial ribbon to celebrate the opening of eight new pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
3 of 11
Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney
These photos show pickleball courts under construction at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Dec. 27, 2023, and later on June 13, 2024, after the courts opened in April.
4 of 11
Photo by Jon Anderson
Liam Aiken, left, and Max Holmes play on one of eight new pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
5 of 11
Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for eight new pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
6 of 11
Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover and Shelby County officials pose for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for eight new pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
7 of 11
Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Council President John Lyda speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for eight new pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
8 of 11
Photo by Jon Anderson
Lizzy Peeples plays on one of eight new pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
9 of 11
Photo by Jon Anderson
Shelby County Commissioner Jeff Brumlow speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for eight new pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
10 of 11
Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Parks and Recreation Director Erin Colbaugh speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for eight new pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
11 of 11
Photo by Jon Anderson
Noah Holmes plays on one of eight new pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
Hoover and Shelby County officials gathered at Veterans Park on Valleydale Road Wednesday morning to celebrate the opening of eight new pickleball courts at the park.
The complex opened in April and has been quite popular, Hoover Parks and Recreation Director Erin Colbaugh said.
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said the city has been looking forward to adding outdoor pickleball courts for some time.
“That’s probably one of the biggest requests we get in the city is to build more pickleball courts,” Brocato said. “This is our first go at it, and I think it’s a really phenomenal facility.”
The city converted some tennis courts next to Simmons Middle School into six pickleball courts, but this is the city’s first time to construct outdoor pickleball courts from scratch.
“We talk a lot about quality of life for our citizens,” the mayor said. “We spend a lot of money and a tremendous amount of effort making sure that we have amenities for our young folks, and you’ll see a lot of young folks out here [at the Veterans Park pickleball courts] as well, but this is a particularly attractive sport to people over 55. We have a really large population in our city that enjoy this particular sport. My wife is one of them. She’s already been out here playing and bragging about it. When we talk about quality of life, it’s not just for the kids; it’s for everybody.”
Brocato said he’s grateful to the Hoover City Council and Hoover Parks and Recreation Board for supporting this project. “We look forward to expanding on facilities like this throughout the city and making sure our citizens enjoy the recreational activities they certainly deserve.”
The city is trying to find money to add 24 outdoor pickleball courts at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex. So far, the state Legislature has committed $1 million for that project, and the Jefferson County Commission had designated $300,000 for it, but the estimated cost is $3. 5 million. City officials are still trying to determine how much money could be designated for it in the city’s fiscal 2025 budget, he said. “It’s a work in progress.”
Hoover Council President John Lyda praised the mayor for his vision to add more pickleball courts in the city. Few sports in recent memory have attracted people from all ages and abilities like pickleball, Lyda said. City officials have a strong desire to find ways to create camaraderie and a sense of community for residents and visitors, he said.
Lyda thanked Shelby County officials for partnering with Hoover on this project and other projects at Veterans Park throughout the years. The eight new pickleball courts and 45-50 more parking spaces cost $1.3 million to build, with Hoover putting in $900,000 and Shelby county contributing $400,000, city officials previously have said.
Shelby County Commissioner Jeff Brumlow said it was a joy to partner with the city of Hoover on these courts and to watch them being built over the past year. When he drove by at 8 a.m. on the way to church Sunday morning, the courts were packed, he said.
