40,000 sf Pickleball Kingdom Opening in Somerset County in December

A Teaneck couple will launch a 40,000-square-foot indoor pickleball complex in Somerset County next month. Two courts were designed for wheelchair players. Pickleball Kingdom Watchung will feature 14 courts when it debuts in December.

Owner Chana Baron said her sister, who was born with special needs, pushed her to build an accessible space. Co-owner Todd Baron explained that the pair wanted to make sure everyone could play at their facility.

"Chana and I definitely tried to make this one of the cornerstones of our facility, the inclusivity of it, and being able to be open to all the different communities," Todd Baron said, according to NJ.com.

The facility will run on memberships. Non-members can pay a fee to play. The franchise has another spot in Hamilton Township, and several more will open across the state.

Todd Baron said they plan to offer programs for kids and teens. The couple discovered the sport three years ago. They were hooked.

An athlete his whole life, Todd Baron said he was sidelined in his 40s after getting injured multiple times. The sport brought back his passion, and he's now a professional coach.

"For all those years, that feeling of competitiveness … was kind of locked up," he said. "And when I was able to be exposed to this and got into this, those feelings just unleashed."

Todd Baron loves getting to play with his sons. He said anybody can go anywhere and play with other people.

"There's no borders, no boundaries," he said.

The couple hopes to build a group of players at their location — people of all ages and abilities. The site will offer professional coaching and clinics, leagues and tournaments, and corporate and community events.

"We love all the different folks that want to play pickleball and we want to give them a comfortable, safe environment to play that in," Todd Baron said.

"It's for people to come again and again and again, and feel very at home at the place," he said.