Owners of new Homewood attraction hope to make Pickleball accessible to all

PITTSBURGH — Homewood is getting a new attraction that will serve up inclusion and a lot of fun.

“Everybody has to play with everybody,” said Bryan Wigginton, the owner of Pickleball Warehouse.

When you think of pickleball, you may think of an affluent leisure activity, but Wigginton wants to change that, making the game a sport for everyone.

“We want to make it approachable so that anyone can come in find a game and play,” he said.

Couple Bryan and Alexa recently transformed what was the Wheel Mill — an indoor biking facility — into 19 pickleball courts.

“We have an area where food trucks can just drive in. We hope to have a variety of food trucks, same things with beer trucks and then we have an event space where we are hoping to bring in a lot of local beverage places so that people can try them out,” Wigginton said.

For $10, guests can enjoy a full day of access to the facility and whatever event they are hosting. No gear is needed because people will be able to rent paddles for $5.

Wigginton says he hopes to be a part of the Homewood community.

“We’d love to partner with the local YMCA. I was a schoolteacher, I miss that, I’d love to have a summer camp for kids,” he said.

An employee of Showcase BBQ, a staple restaurant in the community, says it is this type of community engagement that will help the new business succeed.

“Offer classes so everyone can know what it’s about,” Tonia Young said. “It’s a chance for everyone to take advantage of it and learn a new game.”

The Pickleball Warehouse will officially open later in July.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group