Streator YMCA’s outdoor pickleball court groundbreaking will coincide with tournament

The game of pickleball has continued to grow in the U.S. in recent years.

Later this month, that growth will take a physical manifestation at the Streator Family YMCA.

After $50,000 of fundraising, the Streator Family YMCA has announced it will host a ceremonial groundbreaking for an outdoor pickleball facility west of its main parking lot. The groundbreaking will coincide with the start of a previously planned pickleball tournament – one that will serve as a fundraiser for completing the outdoor courts – Saturday, June 25, and Sunday, June 26.

“We are planning to construct two outdoor courts at this time, with potential to do something more in the future if we can,” Streator Family YMCA CEO Jill Seaton said.

If you’re not familiar with the game of pickleball, think less physically demanding tennis played on a smaller, 44-by-20-foot court with a modified wiffle ball and a few badminton and ping pong rules thrown in.

The sport has been growing in recent years all across the United States, including the recent emergence of professional leagues. Locally, Ottawa expanded the game to outdoors with pickleball courts on Route 6 a handful of few years ago, and Peru just this spring completed new courts built at Washington Park.

In Streator, the game has exploded at the local YMCA, although restricted to indoor play. Former Streator Family YMCA CEO Ralph Sterrett – himself an avid pickleball player – and his children Jeff Sterrett and Shelly Olson have been instrumental in developing and implementing the fundraising plan along with Seaton and YMCA program director Shannon Harback to expand the game to an outdoors facility.

The facility is being built in Ralph Sterrett’s honor.

“It’s the fastest growing sport in the world,” Ralph Sterrett said. “It’s getting very, very popular. I started playing it years ago in the 1980s at the high school.

“Pickleball, tennis and golf are probably the main three sports you can play almost your whole life, and pickleball is easy to pick up. Just about anybody can play it. ...

“It’s just a very enjoyable game, and it’s amazing how people get hooked on it.”

“When I first took the CEO position,” Seaton said, “Ralph and I were talking, and he was sharing some of his days as CEO of the Y. Both of us had a vision of outdoor pickleball courts. It was something I had envisioned for the YMCA much further down the road, maybe in a five-year plan, but Ralph had a vision for them much sooner. ... He had said something about his kids wanting to do something [in honor of] him ... and he thought maybe this was the time we could get it going again.”

The pickleball tournament – branded as an inaugural event – will be a round robin starting at 10 a.m. June 25 and continuing at 10 a.m. June 26. There is a $20 entry fee with an additional $5 fee for each division (singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles) entered. Doubles partners will be switched during play.

If there are sufficient numbers, there could be separate recreational and competitive levels along with a youth clinic.

Players can sign up for the tournament and those interested can make a donation to help build the outdoor pickleball facility at the Streator Family YMCA’s website or by calling the front desk at 815-672-2148.