I was really disappointed with my experience at Pickle in the Middle in Brooklyn Park.
My group rented two courts--one for 4 hours and another for 2 hours. We were there to have fun while visiting Minnesota from Georgia. We were playing pickleball, cheering each other on, and enjoying the courts we paid for.
About 2 1/2 hours into our reservation, a Caucasian couple came in to practice on another court. Shortly after, an employee approached our group and told us that the couple had left because we were "too loud." The employee also repeatedly reminded us that there should only be six people per court, even though that wasn't an issue and we weren't exceeding the court capacity.
What really bothered me was being told that cheering during a game was somehow inappropriate. Pickleball is a social, energetic sport. If someone is looking for complete peace and quiet to practice, a shared indoor facility may not be the right environment. Expecting everyone else to stop celebrating or having fun on courts they reserved doesn't seem reasonable.
The interaction left a bad impression. While I can't say for certain that race played a role, the way our group was singled out made us feel uncomfortable and unfairly targeted. It's not a great feeling when you're visiting from out of state, excited to enjoy a local business, only to leave feeling unwelcome.
We paid for our court time, followed the rules, and simply wanted to enjoy the game. Unfortunately, the way the situation was handled overshadowed what should have been a fun experience. I hope management takes a closer look at how customer concerns are addressed so that all groups are treated fairly and consistently. read more