- San Diego resident Michael Thompson built his backyard pickleball court to kick off retirement.
- He started renting it out on the amenity-sharing app Swimply and brought in $1,600 in the past year.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Michael Thomspon, a retired San Diego teacher who built a custom pickleball court and listed it on the Swimply app. It lets homeowners rent out their pool, courts, and other amenities by the hour. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.
My wife and I live in San Diego. We've been in the same house for 12 years. In 2022, we started building a pickleball court due to a combination of factors.
First, we were both retiring. I was a special education teacher and school administrator for 32 years. The way my retirement was set up, I got this specific lump sum the year I retired. I decided this was a dream project for that money.
After the COVID-19 lockdown, my wife and I also knew we didn't want to go to gyms anymore. We started playing pickleball and I'm passionate about senior fitness. So, we decided this was our new activity. We wanted something we could do daily, but booking court times can be very hard.
It was also an environmental decision. In San Diego, we have droughts and knew we couldn't continue to water all of our grass and maintain little gardens. So we thought, let's save on water bills and build a cool court.
And lastly, I knew we could generate a little bit of passive income even though building the court was expensive — around $75,000.
I made sure my neighbors were OK with it and didn't expect people to use my bathroom
We finished the court in 2023 and welcomed our first group that June.
I can't recall how I first heard of Swimply, whether it was through an email or an ad. But I knew we wanted to rent the court out somehow, so I decided to give the app a shot.
We connected with all our neighbors beforehand because the sport is known for being somewhat loud. We really only have two neighbors close to us, and we have a canyon on the other side of the house.
The house and the canyon absorb much of the noise, so we've never had complaints. I also don't rent the court until 10 a.m. and have a hard stop at 7 p.m. I have to respect my neighbors or else it won't work.
The first group we hosted was fun. Apparently, one of the guys was on "Bachelor in Paradise," but I don't keep up with that show. They came and shot a TikTok video because they thought the court was so cool; it's really colorful and eye-popping.
When the group came, I wasn't sure what to expect. I met them in front of the gate and spent a little bit of time conversing, talking about the court and the surface. I hung out for a few minutes to ensure they didn't need anything, but I strongly believe it's their time. So, I just kind of went into the house and went about my day.
One issue is using the bathroom because folks are here for an hour or two.
The first time, I was surprised because I didn't expect people to have to use the bathroom while playing. But it's not a big deal. We just opened our house to guests.
I love hearing people have fun in my backyard
I'm paid nearly $50 an hour to rent out the court. Over the past year, I've rented it out 32 times, bringing in $1,600.
One of the unexpected joys of renting out my court is when I'm in my house and hear people banging the ball around. They're having fun and enjoying themselves, and it's kind of satisfying.
This has turned out better than I could have hoped. I have neighborhood games we play here; it's building a micro-community.
I have noticed rentals are kind of seasonal. We get a lot of action around the holidays, around October through Christmas. Families are getting together and looking for something to do. Pickleball is great for families; everyone can play.
Someone even proposed to their fiancée on our court
Another unexpected surprise I've had from renting out my court was being able to witness a proposal. A guy tried to rent a court in Coronado, which is a bit more romantic, but they were all booked.
I was in on the plan. He shot me a message, "Hey, I want to propose to my girlfriend. I think your courts are really cool." We stayed in close contact that day because it was raining, and we weren't sure if he could pull it off. We both played weatherman for the day. At one point, he said, "Well, it's 50% chance of rain." And I kept telling him, "Just come, don't worry about it. It'll work out."
He put a little wedding ring inside the ball and hit it over to her. Somehow, it stayed in the ball, and she opened it up while he dropped down to one knee. In the end, he popped a bottle of champagne on the court that he stowed away.
I've now started coaching pickleball, too
My court has also created some other personal development opportunities for me.
Since I started renting the court, I thought this could be a little business for me. I got my pickleball teacher certification and started giving lessons on the court. If I wasn't renting it out, I wouldn't have thought of it.
I focus on teaching lessons to seniors aged 50+. I have been a teacher all my life and this has filled a gap for me in retirement. Now, I can continue doing what I love.