Pickleball has been around since 1965, but it was the fastest-growing sport in 2022, according to a report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. It’s a good time for Cincinnati to expand its footprint in the sport, then, as officials announced in the fall that the country's second-biggest indoor pickleball facility will open in West Chester in 2023. The Pickle Lodge will feature 17 indoor courts, cushioned playing surfaces, a bar and restaurant and, eventually, five outdoor courts plus a championship court with grandstand-style seating. There’s no need to wait that long for a game, though, because the public facilities at Sawyer Point Park downtown were revamped in September to provide 24 regulation pickleball courts (including three tennis courts and six overlayed courts). There are also new nets, LED lighting and updated restrooms. According to data from Cincinnati Parks, "In 2021, there was an average of 51.8 players per session; to date in 2022, that number rose to 93.1 players per session." facebook.com/pbatsp.

Here are the 2023 Best Of Cincinnati® Reader and Staff Pick winners for Sports & Recreation.

1. Soccer City
2. Town and Country Sports Health Club
3. Wall2Wall

1. Schmidt Boat Ramp and Ballfields
2. Riverside Park
3. Westside Sports Park

1. 700 WLW-AM
2. FOX Sports Ohio
3. WCPO-TV

1. Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
2. YMCA Camp Ernst
3. Clifton Cultural Arts Center

1. Cincinnati Rollergirls
2. Florence Y’alls
3. Dayton Dragons

1. Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino
2. FanDuel Sportsbook
3. Betfred

1. University of Cincinnati football
2. Xavier University men’s basketball
3. Ohio State University football

1. Cincinnati Bengals
2. FC Cincinnati
3. Cincinnati Cyclones

1. Sawyer Point Park
2. Camargo Racquet Club
3. The Club at Harper’s Point

1. Fifty West Production Works
2. Knotty Pine Rock Club and Tiki Bar
3. Cabana on the River

1. Body Alive
2. Shellates Studio
3. Pilates Center of Cincinnati

1. Red River Gorge
2. Hocking Hills State Park
3. Winton Woods

1. Sunlite Pool (Coney Island)
2. Ziegler Park
3. Kings Island

1. Flying Pig Marathon
2. Queen Bee Half Marathon
3. Thanksgiving Day Race

1. Sawyer Point Park
2. Fifty West Brewing Company
3. Dulle Park

1. Joey Votto
2. Jonathan India
3. Tyler Stephenson

1. Oakley Park
2. Blue Ash Recreation Center
3. Mt. Echo Park

1. ProForce Sports Performance
2. Strength Beyond the Weights
3. Trilogy Fitness Systems

1. Joe Burrow
2. Sam Hubbard
3. Tee Higgins