OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Before pickleball became a nationwide phenomenon, a group of friends in Omaha were already working to bring the sport to their city, one duct-taped tennis court at a time.
Around 2008, Bill Holt and Warren Mellema, along with friends, traveled to Phoenix, where they first encountered pickleball courts.
“We watched them play but we never really expressed any interest in it but we thought well, lets do it,” Holt said.
Converting courts, building a community
The two returned to Omaha and began duct taping tennis courts at Meadow Lane Park in order to keep playing. They then approached the City of Omaha with a proposal…