The Downieville Tennis & Education Association (DTEA) is excited to announce the resurfacing of our Mary P. Johnsen Community Tennis Court on Upper Main Street. Additionally, we decided to create an opportunity for greater use by adding lines for two pickleball courts. It’s been striped to allow the tennis net to stay in place while both pickleball courts are used with their own rolling portable nets.

Pickleball was invented in 1965, yet it grew nearly 40 percent between 2019 and 2021, making it America’s fastest-growing sport. According to the 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry Association Single Sport Report (yes, that’s a real thing), 52% of Core players (those who play 8+ times per year) are 55 or older. The fastest growing segment of players is under 24. It truly is a sport for every age. You can learn more at usapickleball.org.

DTEA will continue to create workshops and classes for tennis, with a renewed effort in 2023 for youth and adults. We are looking forward to educating ourselves more proficiently in pickleball rules and play, so that we can eventually add it to our teaching menu.

The court is officially owned by Sierra County, and our alliance allowed us to jointly fund the resurfacing. We are still looking for donors to help gear up the pickleball courts. We need to purchase two nets, plus several paddles and balls so we can loan them to those who want to come back and play a group sport. Those over-55’ers seem to have taken this quote to heart: “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

For more information on how to donate, please email downievilletennis@gmail.com