New Courts Coming! Tournaments, Trivia & More
- Elizabeth Luscombe
- Jan 24
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 24
City Council approves contract for ten pickleball courts at The Beast
By Jamie Fisher, Founder, Pickleball El Paso Association (PEPA)
When I got a call from Ivan Niño, City Representative for District 5, my first response was, “That’s awesome!” The Beast Phase II expansion was going to include TEN pickleball courts. Next came a question: “How much space will there be behind the baseline?”
Those of you who have played on the westside may have run into courts with only five feet of out-of-bounds at the baseline: if you don’t shorten your back stroke for your serve, you will hit a wall.
Niño sent a schematic showing 8’ 3”. Yes! 🎉
Nuts and bolts of the project:
Scheduled to break ground Spring 2026, with completion anticipated one year later
Budget $11.7 million
Scheduled to be built:
o 10 pickleball courts
o handball, basketball and sand volleyball courts
o 4 softball fields
The vote: City Council meeting January 6, 2026
Courts don’t just happen, and we owe a debt of gratitude to Representative Niño, his predecessor Representative Salcido, City Manager Dionne Mack, Deputy City Manager of Support Services and CFO Robert Cortinas, and Gilbert Guerrero and Yvette Hernandez with Capital Improvements.
This project has been years in the making, and Pickleball El Paso Association has been there, campaigning for our community.
How did we get here?
The beginning of these courts has its roots in the unrelated 2022 Bond Public Input Meetings. The Bond was mostly for street repairs, but PEPA was there pitching for pickleball courts at every meeting. It was the first time most City Representatives had heard of pickleball.
Fast forward two years to the Beast Phase II Public Input meeting on June 27, 2024. The preliminary plans included six courts. Twenty-one dedicated players attended the meeting and pitched the Rep to increase the number of courts to eight.
So how did we get to ten courts? “We searched and scraped for money to make this a quality facility,” said City Manager Mack. Including eight feet behind the baseline.
Congratulations pickleball community! We have come a long way.
Play happy,
Jamie
It's Back! Nusenda Sun Bowl Pickleball Tournament returns on March 20 - 22 to Eastwood High School
New this year: Open Men's and Women's Singles*. Singles will be played on Friday, Mixed Doubles on Saturday, and Men's and Women's Doubles on Sunday.
*Players over 40 may enter the Singles event but must compete within the 19–40 age bracket.
Click below to register:
Donations Sought for Nusenda Sunbowl Tournament Raffle!
A gift basket raffle will be held at the tournament, with all proceeds benefiting Pickleball El Paso’s advocacy and outreach efforts. Please consider donating brand new or unused items that you may have on hand. We need both pickleball items (balls, paddles, hats) and non-pickleball items such as gift cards, mugs, wine, lotions, cozy socks — you name it! As long as the items are new, Terry Avalos will work her magic and create something special. Last year's gift baskets were highly coveted! To donate: Please contact Terry at 915-355-3056.
Upcoming Rec Center tournaments
Dink of the Day: Using the Two-Bounce Rule to Your Advantage
Submitted by PEPA member, Juan Balderrama
What is the two-bounce rule?
The two-bounce rule states that the ball must bounce once on each side of the court before it can be hit out of the air (volleyed). To master this strategy and use this rule to your advantage, focus on these five techniques:
Serve Deep and Stay Back: Aim for the back four feet of the court to pin your opponents. Consistent, deep serves are more effective for beginners than raw power.
Hold the Baseline: After serving, both you and your partner should stay back, behind the baseline. Since you need to let the return bounce, being too far forward can require a difficult and often risky, backpedal. It's easier (and safer!) to run forward than it is to run backward.
The Returner’s Edge: As the receiving team, you have the advantage because you can rush to the kitchen line immediately after hitting your return, while the serving team is required to wait for the bounce.
Strategic Returns: Use a low return to shorten your opponent's reaction time, or a high, deep return to give you and your partner more time to get to the kitchen and establish solid positioning.
Anticipation: Keep an eye on the angle of your opponent's paddle to predict ball placement and spin before it bounces, and to be prepared to return a third-shot drop.
Mastering this rule is a key step in transitioning from a beginner to an intermediate player.
On the Court: Pickleball Trivia! Test your terminology IQ (Scroll to the end of newsletter for answers)
What do you call the strategy partners use to move in sync as they shift across the court?
A doubles strategy where partners rearrange their starting positions to ensure they play on their "stronger" side of the court, regardless of where they serve or receive is called….
What is the name of the global system/algorithm that is used to assess a player's skill level that was developed by the founder of Major League Pickleball?
What’s it called when a player crosses over to their partner's side of the court to take a shot that would normally be their partner's responsibility?
While serving, you try to catch the opposing team off guard by aiming to hit the opponent that is not set to receive the serve. This is called…
What do you call a shot where a player volleys the ball while being physically off the court - outside of the sideline of the Kitchen?
An unintentional disruption such as a stray ball from another court, debris blowing onto the court, or a spectator’s outcry is called a ....
An intentional disruption by a player that interferes with the opponent's ability to concentrate or hit the ball (e.g., stomping feet, waving a paddle, or shouting right as they hit) is called a...
A legal shot where a player hits the ball around the outside of the net post rather than over the net is called...
What’s it called when a team wins a game 11-0 without the opposing team ever getting a chance to serve!?
How'd you do? Did you ace it? Scroll to the bottom to check your answers!
First Beginners Clinic of 2026 was a Smash!
On January 14th the courts at Gary del Palacio were buzzing with enthusiasm and energy. A huge thank you to our PEPA members whose continued support provides the means for us to host our clinics. Special thanks to the East Side Pickleballers for coaching, encouraging new players, and providing awesome door prizes! We also want to recognize Amilcar Garcia and the wonderful staff at Gary del Palacio for everything they do for our community. Most importantly, thank you to the players for coming out and letting us share the game we love with you. We had a BLAST and hope you did too!
*Have a friend who's interested in learning to play? For a listing of Beginner Clinics and other events around the city, please visit the homepage of Pickleball El Paso.
See you on the courts!
Liz Luscombe
Newsletter Director
Answers to Trivia: 1. Shadowing 2. Stacking 3. DUPR 4. Poaching 5. Nasty Nelson 6. Erne
7. Hinder/Hindrance 8. Distraction 9. ATP 10. Golden Pickle
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