Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Celia and Bill Gross play pickleball on brand new courts at Island Park in Youngsville.

There is a new recreation facility in Youngsville.

After watching the tennis court at Island Park for six months, Bill Gross moved forward with his plan to add to the pickleball opportunities in the county.

“It’s the fastest growing sport in the United States,” Gross, who is a member of the Warren Pickleball Association, said.

As far as he knows, there were no pickleball courts in Youngsville.

“We just want it to grow,” he said. “Youngsville, Garland, Pittsfield, Sugar Grove.”

The tennis court at the east end of Island Park was in a state of disrepair and disuse.

It seemed like the right time.

“Nobody was playing tennis,” Gross said. “We approached the borough.”

As long as there were no tennis players and no dollars coming out of the borough budget, the council had no objections, he said.

“We financed it all ourselves,” Gross said.

Once Gross got started, the job took about three months.

The first step was sealing the asphalt — smoothing the surface and filling in the cracks. For the job, he used aviation-grade sealant guaranteed for four years.

On top of that went “plush recreation tennis court paint,” Gross said. One court features a blue and maroon combination. The other is green and maroon.

Buddy Ward assisted with the painting of the boundary lines, he said.

Those lines could use some clear coat, but, other than that, the work is essentially done and the courts are ready for use.

“We built it for the public,” he said. “It’s enjoyable. It’s healthy. You sweat.”

Although he hopes to see more pickleball courts cropping up throughout the county, possibly even two to four more at Island Park, Gross probably won’t be building any more of them. “It was hard work,” he said.