| I first came across pickleball in an unexpected way—learning from a professional pickleballers alongside other Austin reporters at a Major League Pickleball press conference. At the league championship months later, I was shocked by both the enthusiasm from the crowd and the diversity of its champions. A 17-year-old girl played side-to-side with a young man as a middle-aged woman hit zinger after zinger over the net. That accessibility is a big part of the pickleball magic, according to local experts. The sport has been growing quickly in the area, pickleball instructor Adda Cuthbert said. Cuthbert, who has been providing lessons with the township since 2021, said she's now having to turn people away at the door. But having no permanent public nets can hinder growth. Two new facilities are coming soon to The Woodlands. Eight permanent courts are set to open this summer at Falconwing Park, while a new indoor center, Era Pickleball, will open June 3. Era Pickleball owner Christian Tejada hopes to create a community feel at his new business, located on 295 Sawdust Road. "Pickleball is for the community. That's what started it, that's what builds it and that's why you play," Tejada said. Read more about the local pickleball scene here. Have you joined the pickleball craze? Let me know at claire.partain@houstonchronicle.com. | 
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