Linda Erickson Pickleball Complex Opens at Avera on Louise Health Campus

Avera has opened a new outdoor pickleball court facility at the Avera on Louise Health Campus in southwest Sioux Falls.

The Linda Erickson Pickleball Complex includes 12 regulation size courts, as well as a large parking lot and public restroom for players. The public is welcome to use the courts, free of charge, and memberships will be available on four of the outdoor courts to give players the opportunity to reserve their court up to a week in advance.

This is the largest dedicated pickleball complex in South Dakota. “Generous community members made this project possible through their philanthropic support,” said Dzenan Berberovic, Avera Chief Philanthropy Officer. “Families who enjoy the sport collaborated with us on this project, and this new complex is the exciting result. We are grateful for their generous support.”

Pickleball is America’s fastest growing sport, with over 4.8 million players nationwide.

“We at Avera are very pleased to enhance community life in Sioux Falls by the addition of this facility, as we know it will impact the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals and families for decades to come,” said Berberovic, who leads the Avera Foundation.

The courts complement programs at the Avera on Louise Health Campus, including orthopedics and sports medicine. Orthopedics is among key specialties at the Avera Specialty Hospital and Avera Medical Group building, and the Avera Human Performance Center is home to sports medicine, performance training, orthopedic urgent care, physical and occupational therapy, and other support programs. The Avera Human Performance Center offers membership for pickleball play.

“All the expertise, technology and state-of-the-art equipment related to orthopedics and sports medicine on this campus are here to help people enjoy strength, agility along with improved health and wellness throughout a lifetime. The new pickleball courts are an important outdoor extension of that, so we’re thrilled to open these to the public,” said Ron Place, MD, Regional President and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center.

Linda Erickson of Sioux Falls is a pickleball enthusiast who plays both recreationally and competitively. “Pickleball is something you can play at any level; it’s a multigenerational sport. Getting out to the pickleball courts is not only an opportunity for good exercise, it’s a social event. I’m excited that more people in our city can now enjoy the benefits of getting out and moving, just as I have enjoyed as a tennis player and now a pickleball player,” Erickson said.

“Our team at Avera Orthopedics and Avera Sports is happy to get behind anything that gets people out, active and enjoying life,” said Jonathan Buchanan, MD, an orthopedics, sports medicine and internal medicine physician with Avera Orthopedics. “Sports Medicine is for everyone, because at some level, everyone is an athlete, whether that’s walking in the mall, jogging, swimming, team sports… or a friendly game of pickleball.”