YMCA of Metro Atlanta opens eight new pickleball courts in Marietta
Eight new pickleball courts opened at East Cobb’s flagship YMCA with a First Dink ceremony, clinic, and a bigger play calendar for families and leagues.
The first dink at the McCleskey-East Cobb Family YMCA landed as more than a ceremonial tap. With eight brand-new pickleball courts now open at 1055 East Piedmont Road in Marietta, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta turned a June 17 celebration into a clear bet on pickleball as a community draw, a wellness tool, and a dependable place to play.
The East Cobb branch has long been one of the organization’s anchor properties. Opened in 1989, it is the YMCA’s flagship Y in Cobb County and already includes an indoor pool, gymnasium, wellness center, outdoor exercise circuit, racquetball and squash courts, and tennis and pickleball courts. The new courts add real capacity to a campus that is already built for repeat visits, whether the stop is for a family workout, an afternoon game, or a scheduled league night.
That matters in pickleball because access is often the difference between casual interest and a steady playing habit. The YMCA of Metro Atlanta has been building out organized pickleball programming for adults across its system, including open play, socials, challenge ladders, tournaments, clinics, and private lessons. With the East Cobb expansion, the organization now has another venue that can support that mix of programming while also making the sport easier to plug into youth camps, family activity, and older-adult wellness.
The opening day leaned into that broader mission. Leaders from the YMCA of Metro Atlanta and the Trae Young Family Foundation offered remarks before the ceremonial first dink, then players from the Atlanta Bouncers, Major League Pickleball’s challenger-level team, finished the celebration with a clinic that gave residents demonstrations and hands-on court time. The new facility was funded through donations from the Trae Young Family Foundation, YMCA of the USA, and the YMCA community, underscoring how the project was built as a shared investment rather than a single-branch upgrade.
Lauren Koontz, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta’s president and chief executive officer and the first woman to lead the organization, framed the courts as a place where children, families, and older adults could build relationships and stay active together. That is the strongest signal in East Cobb: these eight courts are not just more lines on asphalt, but another reliable stop in metro Atlanta’s growing pickleball map, one that could make Marietta even more attractive for weekend play, group organizers, and anyone looking for a place that feels ready-made for the game.
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