Lemont's Thriving Pickleball Community Spans All Ages — And Plays Rain Or Shine

LEMONT, IL — If you stop by the Lemont CORE facility or walk the trails around the Lemont Park District's Centennial Park, you've most likely seen the courts packed with pickleball players who are a part of Lemont's thriving pickleball community.

If you're not quite sure what pickleball is, it's a paddle sport where two or four players hit a plastic ball over a net. The rules are fairly similar to tennis, although the net is lower and the courts are smaller. According to USA Pickleball, the sport was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island in Washington.

The Lemont Park District offers quite a few pickleball courts — outdoors at Centennial Park and Gleneagles Park, and indoors at its CORE facility.

"They play every day," said Lauren Raspanti, director of marketing and community engagement for the park district. "Inside and outside."

One of the astounding things about the players isn't how many of them are waiting on the bleachers of the CORE's gym for their turn on the court — although there were probably 30 or 40 who filed into the gym on just one rainy Wednesday morning — it's the variety of ages.

"We have people playing into their 80s and even 90s," Mike Woods, who helps to organize the daily pickleball sessions, told Patch. He pointed out one player, Danny, who is 87, and another player, Don Mueggenborg, who is 91.

Mueggenborg, a retired Lemont High School counselor, works out in the CORE facility every day and then comes to play pickleball.

He told Patch that during the pandemic, his daughter and his granddaughter also got hooked on the sport. Now, the three generations play together at the park district.

Many of the players transitioned to playing pickleball from tennis or even racquetball. Woods said he has been playing since 2016, and has previously played tennis himself.

"I always say, it either gets you in shape or it kills you," Woods said. He has suffered two heart attacks, and said his doctor told him that staying in shape playing tennis and pickleball probably saved his life.

Raspanti said the park district is also planning more pickleball courts at its Centennial Campus. As part of a referendum approved in 2024, Lemont residents approved constructing and renovating tennis and pickleball courts at the facility.

"Most of the players come from Lemont," Raspanti said, although she added that there are some from nearby communities like Homer Glen and Orland Park.

The park district even offers a pickleball membership, which gives access to the fitness center, indoor pool, open gym and swim, and of course, the pickleball open play times.

"It's amazing," Raspanti said. "It's awesome to see everyone out here, every single day."