ACE: INSPIRED BY PARK’S PICKLEBALL COMMUNITY, CHANGEMAKER NG ADVOCATES FOR SAFER COURTS

Originally published in issue 122 of St. Vartan Park Conservancy newsletter, June 29, 2026

Pickleball at St. Vartan Park is widely admired for the strong sense of community it fosters. Few understand that better than pickleball thought leader Betty Ng (above at the park courts).

"Pickleball at St. Vartan Park has always been about more than the sport itself," said Ng. "There's a special sense of community there — people of all ages and backgrounds coming together, supporting one another, and forming real friendships. That environment helped inspire my commitment to using pickleball as a vehicle for connection and bridge-building." 

Ng is among the more than 200 individuals who have signed this active St. Vartan Park Conservancy petition that launched a week ago today. The petition calls for public funding to support safety-focused upgrades to the deteriorating park handball courts used for pickleball (see story in issue 121 of this newsletter).

Said Ng, "I eventually stopped playing there because the deteriorating conditions were causing too many injuries. That was really disappointing, because when people get hurt and stop coming, it becomes much harder to sustain the special camaraderie that makes that community so meaningful." 

Ng began playing at St. Vartan Park about five years ago, during her introduction to pickleball. In 2024, she founded the nonprofit Pickleball Positive Communities (PPC). which has since served youth in underserved communities across Greater New York.

In her TEDx talk delivered in May (above), 'Pickleball: Building Bridges on the Court and Beyond,' Ng shared how PPC uses pickleball as more than a sport, to serve as a powerful vehicle for building confidence, fostering connection, and developing essential life skills.

Ng says she carries fond memories from her time at St. Vartan Park, including of enduring friendships formed with fellow players at the park courts. "What makes St. Vartan Park special wasn't just the games, it was the relationships," said Ng, above with some players at the park courts. "Whether we were encouraging each other through difficult moments or celebrating birthdays together, there was a real sense of belonging."

Ng is passionate about helping diverse audiences — including public officials, educators and community leaders — better understand pickleball's benefits from a holistic wellness perspective. At a major annual New York legislative conference in Puerto Rico last November, Ng teamed with Liz Ouyang to win the conference's inaugural pickleball tournament (below at the event with Conservancy president Kevin O'Keefe).

"I'm always looking for opportunities to share the positive impact pickleball can have," said Ng. "I continue to talk about St. Vartan Park because it represents something special."

Added Ng, "I'm hoping funding will come through for the needed court upgrades, because preserving and strengthening that space means preserving and strengthening the community around it."