On Monday, June 1st, Odell Weeks re-opened for indoor play - court reservations only - just one of the many safeguards they implemented for our safety. Odell changed the entrance to the one adjacent to Gym 2. They moved the check-in desk into the lobby by the bulletin board, with Jeana behind a plexiglass divider. Only Gym 2 and the mens and ladies room were open. The courts open for play were staggered so there was no interaction between other players. No extra players were permitted. Times were spaced out so between reservations the staff could wipe down the four chairs on each court. The entire Odell facifilty was dedicated to pickleball from 9am-3:45pm. Odell has done everything they could to provide a safe environment for us to play pickleball indoors. One group of players even wore masks while playing. They had to feel safer than shopping at Publix.
As the reservations got off the a slow start, individual players were allowed to make additional reservations for the week. Only two players took advantage of this. For next week, this Thursday morning at approximately 8am, players will be able to make two court reservations, and a third reservation Friday morning - same as for this week. Depending on the demand at the sign-up for courts for the week of June 8, we may also loosen the restrictions for that week. Odell has just approved allowing a maximum of five players per court effective immediately. With the facility just reopening, the City representative also stated that they will revisit the reservation spreadsheet in a few weeks. The hope is that more people will come out to play Pickleball over a period of time as they feel more comfortable.