East Hampton Village residents ought to marvel why exactly it’s that the trustees are keen to put in a specialised glass enjoying enclosure for a sport that nobody has heard of — and take away a tennis courtroom within the course of. However then once more, what passes for management within the village nowadays raises all kinds of questions.
Padel, apparently, is a racket sport in a glass field, which is meant to maintain a ball in play longer. The paddles are extra akin to these utilized in Ping-Pong or Kadima, albeit perforated with holes. Wikipedia says that Padel is well-liked in Spain, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. In keeping with The Guardian, it gained gamers in Italy as one of many restricted sports activities allowed in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. The sport is meant to be straightforward to be taught and is claimed to be spreading quickly.
Two girls who benefit from the recreation themselves had approached village officers after studying that Herrick Park was to be redesigned starting within the fall. The prevailing tennis courts have been uncared for by the village and are slated to be eliminated in the course of the renovation, they reasoned. Considered one of them supplied to pay the $70,000 set up price herself. However what was lacking from this was any indication that village taxpayers had been focused on any of it. The ladies attended the Could 20 village board assembly and took with them, by means of help, the final supervisor of an organization that installs Padel courts. Sports activities professionals could be obtainable for classes on the Herrick Park web site — for a value?
What’s unlucky right here is that the board appears keen to remove a recognized public asset — a tennis courtroom — and substitute it with one thing for which there is no such thing as a discernible demand. Why? Who is aware of? There could also be some back-room incentive or, extra probably, it may simply be one other shiny object designed to deflect consideration because the board continues gutting the village zoning code and rolling over for added growth.
Earlier than leaping all in on Padel, the village ought to ask for a transportable model in a less-prominent location as an indication of curiosity. If the sport is successful, solely then ought to it’s included within the plan for a renewed Herrick Park. Taking away a free, public courtroom as the height of the tennis season approaches is senseless in anyway. The village ought to restore the cracked surfaces after which sit on the sidelines for now and make a transfer on Padel solely after there’s apparent demand.
