They’re Making Avalon A Pickleball Paradise

Tracie Holmes (left) and Kerriann Herdelin on one of Avalon’s 18 pickleball courts.

Avalon, the mythical resting place for King Arthur, has become the most heavenly place for pickleball players on the Jersey Shore.

Already known for decades as an elite seaside summer resort destination for visitors from Philly to New York and the Pennsylvania-New Jersey region, Avalon residents have embraced the now-worldwide phenomenon of pickleball as its year-round sport of choice.

The proof of Avalon’s devotion to the fast-paced fitness and social-connection sport is the town’s investment in building more courts to fill the demand over the past decade highlighted by last year’s hosting of a major pickleball tour event.

Tracie Holmes and Kerriann Herdelin have become two of the leading guardians and patrons of the sport, organizing and coordinating play.

In the fall of 2023, Holmes and Herdelin created and chaired the Avalon Pickleball Committee made up of 11 members. The group built a seven-day-a-week schedule consisting of morning, afternoon, and evening social and competitive events for residents and non-residents to host an inclusive-play environment.

Herdelin, a career teacher and former college tennis player, created a tennis and education foundation for under-resourced youth that reached thousands of players. She is now using those skills to support pickleball. She came to the game just three years ago and has embraced its unique ability to attract players of all ages and athletic levels.

“My tennis friends invited me to play pickleball,” says Herdelin, who is a mentor for the United States Tennis Association Foundation. “Pickleball is a flexible, social, and active sport. You do not need to schedule with other players as you might in tennis. You can just show up to the courts, put your paddle in the rack and always jump in a fun game.”

Avalon Borough Council member Chet Johnson reports that more than 2,000 players are registered on the Team Reach app, a resource for everything pickleball.

“As a member of the council, the sport has given me so much access to the community because the sport is so inclusive,” Johnson says. “I have met so many people on a personal level and heard concerns, input on the town all while enjoying the game. On a normal day, you’ll have 72 players on the 18 courts for each session and as many as 400 in a day.”

Johnson notes that Herdelin and Holmes have brought their tennis backgrounds and organizational skills to the sport that has added social, fitness as well as economic benefits to Avalon.

“[Former] Mayor Marty Pagliughi and the recreation department were all-in early, adding courts and organizing the growth,” he said. “Now we have an amazing group led by Tracie and Kerriann with a staff that is on hand to sign in, monitor, and facilitate the movement of players. It’s become one of the big attractions for residents and summer vacation players.”

November featured “Paddles for the Pantry” a ladies’ round-robin event held to raise funds for the Holy Redeemer Food Pantry, which helps those in need over the holiday season in Cape May County. Players at 3.0-3.4 and 3.5-4.0 skill levels contributed $10 each to participate, and those who were not playing were able to donate via Venmo.

“Pickleball grows out of the sheer love of the game and all the joy that comes out of it,” DiPeso says. “In October, we had a breast cancer fundraiser; November is for the food pantry and December is a toy drive. I’m feeling grateful to be a part of it.”

You’ve no doubt heard of coffee with cops. How about: Pickle With Police? It’s just one of the many diverse events that Avalon uses to drive popularity of the sport.

DiPeso notes that the Avalon community overlooks differences and provides a cornerstone of inclusion.

“It brings together people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities; summer visitors, year-round residents; none of it matters. We come together for the love of the game. What comes out of it is so much more,” she says. “Our Cape May County pickleball community extends far beyond the pickleball court. Paddle for Pantry has 60 entries and we’re getting so much support. Our community continues to grow through the love of pickleball. How lucky are we?”

Herdelin’s team has reached deep into every aspect of the community, holding kids’, senior citizens’ and other events, connecting local restaurants, taverns, and businesses. There’s even been a “Pickle with Police” event. The Avalon version of the sport allows play at a comfortable level of competition and encourages interaction to help develop novices and younger players.

“We manage the Team Reach and Facebook page ‘What’s all the Racquet?’ about pickle, paddle and tennis on Seven Mile Island, which provides up-to-date communication of programs, events, hours, memberships, etc., for Avalon pickleball,” Herdelin says. “I’m also working with the tennis community, which has been very supportive, to organize the sport I love so much.”

Avalon boasts as many pickleball courts as any town in South Jersey and more than any resort town on the summer resort coast. Once the weather turns colder, indoor play begins in the Avalon Community Hall. Those indoor playing areas are not included in Avalon’s court count but are organized for offseason play.

Herdelin says the community has created “Pickleball in Paradise” and the avid players are outdoors as long as weather allows, often into the winter months.

“We communicate the structure of play, policies established by the Recreation Department in collaboration with the pickleball committee,” she says. “We have created a culture of fun. I often use the saying, ‘It takes a VILLAGE, to build a COMMUNITY!’ And the hashtag #servingupfun.”