University Place has no dedicated public pickleball courts: no permanent nets, no pickleball-first lines anywhere in the city. Plenty of UP residents still play several times a week. The difference between them and the people who gave up is not talent. It’s a playbook: one home court, one winter plan, and one purchase.
Your home court is in Fircrest
Fircrest Park sits on UP’s border, and for most addresses in the city it is the closest lined game: shared tennis courts with pickleball lines, bring your own net. Our Lakewood and Fircrest guide has the details. When you want variety, Tacoma’s six public sites with seasonal nets are a short drive up 6th Ave or Bridgeport; the verified list is here. Note that Tacoma’s nets come down starting September 1.
The one purchase that matters
In a city with no permanent nets, a portable net is a better investment than any paddle upgrade. It costs about the same as a mid-range paddle, and it turns every taped tennis court in UP into a pickleball court. Split the cost with the neighbors you play with. School and neighborhood tennis courts around UP already get taped up by regulars; the only rule is that tennis players keep first claim on tennis courts.
The winter plan
Harry Todd Park in Lakewood keeps permanent nets up year-round, and it is worth the drive when everything else is netless. When the rain settles in, Tacoma’s community centers and clubs cover the indoor months; the full indoor rundown ranks them by cost.
How lessons work in UP
University Place is squarely in our home range. We teach UP students at Fircrest Park and the nearby Tacoma courts, and we bring the net, which matters here more than anywhere else we coach. You bring shoes and water; a loaner paddle is available if you are not ready to buy one (please don’t buy one yet if you’re brand new). A semi-private lesson with a spouse, friend, or neighbor is $80 an hour total, and first-timers get a new-client discount. All the details of formats and booking are on the University Place lessons page.
Ready to start? Book a lesson and tell us where you live; we’ll suggest the best court near you.
We coach private lessons and clinics across Tacoma, Fircrest, and Lakewood. Book a lesson or see pricing.