Hundreds pack Norwich pickleball tournament at Weiler Park
Hundreds filled Weiler Park for Norwich’s third Commerce Chenango pickleball tournament, where players ranged from 11 to 87 and the field kept growing.
Hundreds of players and spectators turned Weiler Park into Norwich’s busiest pickleball stop on Saturday, and the turnout showed this tournament has moved well beyond a one-off amateur bracket. Commerce Chenango’s third annual event packed women’s, men’s and mixed doubles into beginner, intermediate and advanced divisions, with play running from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The crowd was the payoff for a format that has been built carefully. The tournament began in downtown Norwich in 2023, shifted to the new Weiler Park courts in August 2025 and was moved up to early June this year in an effort to pull in more teams. Organizers limited registration to 100 teams and had hoped for about 50, but the field ultimately grew into one of the clearest signs yet that Norwich can support a larger pickleball calendar.
The scale mattered because the event was not just drawing casual curiosity, it was creating a full day of competition. One recap put the final total at 49 officially registered teams, while another said roughly 100 teams played at least three games. However the count is framed, the point is the same: Weiler Park had enough action to make the tournament feel established, not experimental. The dry, warm weather only added to the turnout.
The age spread told its own story. Players ranged from 11 to 87 years old and came from Chenango, Broome, Cortland and Otsego counties, a reminder that this is not a narrow club event. It is becoming a regional gathering, with family players, regular rec-leaguers and more competitive teams all sharing the same courts. Commerce Chenango president and CEO Sal Testani said the goal is to highlight the community rather than raise funds, and that mission fit the day’s atmosphere.
That community angle has been building for years. The inaugural tournament in 2024 used 10 courts on East Main Street downtown and drew 40 teams, with proceeds shared by the Norwich Family YMCA and the City of Norwich Youth Bureau. Past proceeds have also helped fund nets at the Weiler Park courts and programs for children, while the Youth Bureau has listed pickleball among its summer recreation offerings. Norwich is no longer testing whether the sport fits here. The tournament’s steady growth is the answer.
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