Kenai parks staff helped the middle school start pickleball in gym class

City of Kenai parks staff spent Thursday afternoon at Kenai Middle School, helping the school get pickleball going in physical education class.

The visit came out of conversations with Principal Vaughn Dosko, who invited the city in, Parks and Recreation Director Tyler Best told the parks commission. The school's PE teacher wants to teach the game, and the setup is already partway there. "They've ordered their nets, they have paddles, they have one court taped inside," Best said.

The city has more permanent versions elsewhere: three indoor courts at the Kenai Recreation Center and two free outdoor courts at Kenai Municipal Park. Consultant Chris Myrtle told a City Council work session in May that community surveys around the state keep turning up the same unmet demand for courts.

The capital plan the commission reviewed that night includes a $700,000 outdoor racket sport court, penciled in for 2030.