By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
HUNTSVILLE — More courts, expanding player networks, and easier access to the game are helping Huntsville become one of the nation’s fastest-growing pickleball communities.
Huntsville ranked second on the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating’s list of fastest-growing U.S. pickleball cities, recording a 70.6% increase in DUPR users over 12 months. Cleveland topped the list at 71%, putting Huntsville just 0.4 percentage points behind. The ranking measures growth in users of the rating platform, rather than all pickleball participants.
“Pickleball lets you have fun almost immediately,” Huntsville Pickleball Club President Max Patin said in an Oct. 5 City of Huntsville feature. “You can pick up a paddle for the first time and be part of a game within minutes.”
According to the city, residents have more than 30 weekly indoor pickleball opportunities at Parks & Recreation facilities, plus 44 dedicated outdoor courts. Private and fee-based facilities provide additional options.
Two major destinations are the Sandra Moon Community Complex, with 12 lighted regulation-size courts, and the John Hunt Park Recreation Center pickleball complex, featuring 24 covered, lighted regulation courts and a championship court.
Since opening in June 2026, the John Hunt complex has recorded an estimated 27,500 visits and hosted 11 official tournaments, the city reported.
For beginners, Patin encouraged a welcoming approach: “Come as you are, tell people you’re new and give yourself permission to be a beginner.”
That community connection has remained important throughout his own pickleball journey. For his 1,000th recorded DUPR match, Patin reunited with the three players who introduced him to the sport.
“We’re fortunate to have a Parks & Recreation department that has invested in places for people to play,” Patin said. “Those courts give the community a place to grow together.”