Crosscourt Community: The Grupe Park Pickleball Players of Stockton
Pickleball is the nation’s fastest-growing sport for a reason! For teenagers to octogenarians, it’s a fantastic way to both stay active and get involved with local community. The sport has seen an average growth of 311 percent over the past three years, with no indication of slowing down any time soon. The Grupe Park Pickleball players have been championing the pickleball craze for the city of Stockton; even in the midst of the winter chill, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday the courts are full of the sounds of breathless laughter and encouraging shouts.
The group had humble beginnings in 2020. A small group of retirees had been gathering at their local gym to play pickleball, but when the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they soon found themselves without a facility. Pickleball was a perfect sport for social distancing with its wide outdoor courts, so the friends pivoted and instead met in the parking lot at Grupe Park. They measured out the pickleball courts with a tape measure and duct tape on the asphalt. “It gave us purpose and exercise!” said Gil Parker, who often joined during the early parking lot days, when people brought their own equipment and christened their most frequent spectator, a friendly duck, as their official mascot.
As more people began looking for safe ways to play sports and participate in communal events, the group began to grow. “We had about 12 to 15 people who rotated in and out; now we’re over 100 in our group, and 45 to 50 players regularly show up on the weekends,” said Jack Steigerwald, one of the founding members and oldest players. Carmen Wong stands as their oldest reigning veteran and recently celebrated her 84th birthday; she’s often described as “the first one here and the last one to leave.” Sporting bejeweled pickleball earrings and a pickleball license plate cover, she has no plans to retire from her beloved sport any time soon.
The Grupe Park Pickleball players are more than a mere sports team; they will be the first to tell you that they’re a family. “The thing we are most proud of is our belief in one another, our community. We have a good representation of the dynamics of Stockton right here. We’ve got all races represented, we’re accepting of everyone,” said Gil. “All ages, all nationalities,” added Brenda, another devoted member. “We’re not just pickleball players, we’re family!” Steve Wong, another of the original founding members, encourages players of all levels to come join them. “If you’ve never played before, we’ll teach you. We’re all levels!” The Grupe Park Pickleball Players also host a Dink n’ Dine on the first Saturday of every month, during which people bring a medley of food and drink ranging from sandwiches and fruit to lumpia and pancit. Often the courts are full, with a line of people waiting outside the fences for their turn at a game.
With the exponential growth of the group since their humble beginnings, many of the members began to look into ways to acquire better pickleball facilities. They had moved into the tennis courts and made makeshift courts between the existing ones, but they were fast outgrowing them. “We had only three courts to start,” Gil said. “When we began our pilgrimage to city council, we had seven courts and realized we needed still needed more.” In 2024, the Grupe Park Pickleball players formed a committee and approached the Stockton City Council and Parks and Recreation, presenting a request to get official pickleball courts installed in the park.
“They’re a wonderful community,” said Michael Blower, Stockton’s District 3 City Council member. “Linda reached out to me and told me about the group, so I stopped by on a Saturday,” he said. “And next thing I know there are 60 people and I’m giving an impromptu speech and being taught how to play!” Councilman Blower helped champion their plan for funding to renovate the Grupe Park tennis courts into the city’s first official pickleball court. Their request was recently granted, and construction of ten pickleball courts with a communal center aisle and increased seating is slated to begin in spring 2026.
The group is thrilled at the official recognition of their sport from the city and they hope it will help their membership grow even more. “One of the unique things about this group is that we don’t charge; there are no fees. We don’t require money to join,” Jack said. Don’t let their casual atmosphere and friendly attitudes fool you; they take their sport very seriously. Many of the members are talented athletes. Linda Christopherson competed in the USA Pickleball National Championships in Mesa, Arizona, and Marlene Hodges played in the National Deaf Pickleball Tournament in Pikesville, Maryland. But at the end of the day, their focus is not competitive; it’s communal. “We’re so proud of the community we’ve built. It’s a family,” said Gil, and several bystanders enthusiastically voiced their agreement.
What began as a small group striving for connection within the constraints of the pandemic has blossomed into a multi-generational family that lifts each other up and encourages each other to be the best they can be. Whether you’re 9 or 99, regularly hit aces or don’t know the difference between a dink and a drive shot, there’s a place for you among the Grupe Park Pickleball Players.
