CANFIELD — Pickleball, a growing sport across the country, is now catching on in Canfield, with the completed pickleball courts at Greasel Park seeing a big increase in use.

Mayor Richard Duffett has declared Saturday as “Pickleball Day,” with an event kicking off at noon with an introduction to pickleball and the rules of the game. Thirty-minute sessions will then be offered, covering the basic pickleball stroke, proper serving, dinking, and scoring. Pickleball paddles and balls will be provided.

At about 3 p.m., the courts will be set for open play.

One of the residents who pushed for the sport was Jay Cohen, who recently attended a Canfield Parks Board meeting. He told park board members, “I went to Greasel on Monday and there were 30 people there playing pickleball.”

He said it was apparent the conversion from two tennis courts to six pickleball courts was the right thing to do.

Rich Archer, the resident who stayed with the project from its beginning, addressed a small group of people at a special city council meeting on Wednesday.

“You have all worked hard to make pickleball a reality, and make Greasel Park come alive,” Archer said. “âThe park had lost some of its appeal over the years, but has now come back.”

Greasel Park is located on Winona Avenue, just off East Main Street (U.S. Route 224) between Hillside Drive, and state Route 46.