Founded in 2018 by Christy Howden and Leslie White, Wolverine Pickleball is a premier 38,000-square-foot facility and community lifestyle hub in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Designed as an inclusive "third place," Wolverine Pickleball brings together people of all ages and athletic abilities through structured play, recreation, and social connection.
The facility features 12 dedicated indoor pickleball courts, sand volleyball, bocce lanes, a self-serve tap wall, and court-side dining. To elevate player development and community engagement, Wolverine Pickleball offers skill-rated play, professional coaching, corporate team-building events, and social gatherings—fostering vibrant active lifestyles and meaningful relationships.

My journey started with me looking to play a new sport and being told I was too young to play pickleball and to purchase a senior-in-training card since I had inadvertently showed up at a senior center to learn. This was all before the pickleball was all the rage (2017).
We started modestly, teaching people through community education programs, renting school gyms for events to build a community of players. Determined to create the space we felt was missing, we took a leap of faith during the pandemic (2020). We started by transforming a "gritty," humble warehouse with the help of our community into a dedicated four-court facility. This was our way to find out if people would pay for a better experience.
It worked, we were a sanctuary for people to come together in a safe way during the pandemic.
We have grown significantly since our gritty warehouse days. We built a premier, indoor 12 pickleball courts, a self serve tap wall, restaurant and lounge spaces. Outside we have 6 sand courts for beach volleyball and beach tennis, 6 bocce lanes. We were one of the nations first purpose built facilities for pickleball.