We need your help! I am a 15 year old freshman at Palmetto High School. My friends and I sometimes play pickleball in physical education class and look forward to playing in the evening with friends and family after their workday. In my family, 3 people play regularly as it’s a way of staying healthy and spending time with friends and family in a safe environment.

Suniland Park in Pinecrest has a great pickleball community that comes together on 4 courts Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 2 courts on the weekends offering free open play. The Village of Pinecrest will be transferring all open pickleball play to 4 dedicated courts that just opened at Coral Pine Park; it will be free Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, but not on the weekends. Most people go to school or work and can only play on the weekends! Now they’d have to pay $20 to play per hour.

On average, pickleball is played 2 hours a day, 4 times per week. At this rate my father, brother and I would be paying $480 per month to play in Pinecrest Public Park courts.

If we don't reserve the court and pay, we will need to drive to Tropical Park (in heavy traffic, during rush hour) to play on the only other 4 dedicated courts in Miami-Dade County park system with lights. These courts get so full in the evening that you’re typically waiting an average of 25 minutes between games.

The decision to charge for open play is very disheartening. Please help us by signing this petition allowing free open play on pickleball courts at Coral Pine Park for our community youth and families.

Thank you