By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
This past year, the City of Northfield collected public input on the future use of Sechler Park to identify what amenities would need to be updated and what the future of the park looked like. One group that was mentioned repeatedly was pickleball. Pickleball has swept across much of the country, being labeled as the fastest-growing sport in the United States in 2021, 2022, and 2023 by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, which estimates almost 14 million players; this would be comparable to the number of players in baseball and soccer nationally.
PREVIOUS STORY (1/8/2025): Sechler Park Long Range Plan Approved By City Council In December
Here in Northfield, pickleball was first organized this past April, gathering and recruiting 173 players from the city. The group surveyed their players to collect feedback and met with the city multiple times over the summer to provide input on the future design plans of Sechler Park.
Of the players surveyed, the vast majority, 83%, play at Riverside Park during the outdoor season, and the remaining 17% play either at the middle school or multiple locations. The primary request from the group is for additional outdoor courts either at Riverside Park or at another location. The second request is to improve the current space, including lighting, a seating pavilion, and bathrooms. Sechler Park, by both the group and the city, was identified as the main place for additional pickleball space.
One point that the group wanted to note was that Northfield Parks currently has activities mainly for youth and younger adults. According to the survey conducted by the group, 78% of the pickleball players in Northfield are over 50. As an example of the limited space for pickleball, currently, there is space for about 300 kids across all of the playgrounds in Northfield, while there is only space for 16 pickleball players.
Anna Springer, one of the designers of Sechler Park, noted that the final design includes plenty of space for additional pickleball courts, and they worked with the group to make sure the design was particle. Here’s Springer at the December 3rd City Council meeting:
“And I mentioned pickleball courts. We worked with the pickleball group in town to make sure that those were oriented the right way. And we think that those are set up really to serve the needs of that those user groups well into the future.” – Anna Springer, Sechler Park Designer at the 12/3/2025 Northfield City Council meeting
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