Parks & Recreation

We are excited for the upcoming indoor tennis season, and we hope you are too! Mt. Lebanon Recreation has assumed year-round operations of the tennis center, including the bubbles and all aspects of the indoor season. We thank Indoor Tennis for Mt. Lebanon for their years of great service and dedication to the Mt. Lebanon tennis community, and we hope to uphold the standard of excellence they set each bubble season. With Mt. Lebanon Recreation now operating the indoor season and bubbles, there are a few changes from last year, outlined below. We are offering subscriber time as in previous years, which guarantees weekly court time for your group for the entire season at a discounted rate! If you are looking for a season-long reservation, email drauso@mtlebanon.org.

Indoor Operating Procedures:

Timeslots – Timeslots on all courts are in half-hour increments. There are no designations for singles or doubles courts. Operating hours are from 8am-10pm Monday-Sunday. The tennis center reserves the right to close early in the evening if there are no reservations.
Online reservations – Online reservations are highly encouraged for tennis courts and the hitting wall. You may make a reservation up to one week in advance by visiting mtlrec.activityreg.com. Payment is due at the time of reservation. If you cancel your court in accordance with our cancellation policy (at least 4 hours prior to the start time), a credit will be issued to your account.
Everyone must check in with the tennis center cashier before going to their court. This includes all players for subscriber courts.
Walk-up reservations – Walk-up reservations are welcomed if space is available. When paying for a walk-up reservation, all players must be together and pay at the same time. Full payment is required before play.  We encourage one payment in full for walk-up reservations.
Fees – Court fees are $16/half hour during regular time, and $19 /half hour during prime time. There are no additional convenience fees for online reservations. The hitting wall is free!
Prime Time –
a) Monday through Thursday from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
b) Saturday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
c) Sunday from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
All other hours (including Friday all day) are considered Regular Time.
Cancellations – Anyone may cancel their reservation online up to 4 hours prior to the start time, and a credit will be issued to the account. Reservation fees are nonrefundable if a cancellation occurs within 4 hours of the start time.
If your reservation is cancelled by the tennis center due to inclement weather or maintenance, you will be notified, and a credit will be issued to your account.
Etiquette/Rules –
a) Don’t enter the bubble until 2 minutes before your scheduled time. Be ready to leave the bubble at the end of your scheduled court time. Don’t play right up until the end.
b) Please be considerate of the adjacent court when leaving and have all players leave at the same time. When crossing over another court, make sure the point has ended, and you notify the court that you’d like to cross to exit the facility.
c) If your ball lands on the adjacent court, notify the players to ask for it to be returned. Don’t walk on the adjacent court to retrieve the ball.  
d) A reservation is forfeited after a 15-minute grace period for late arrivals.
e) No hitting or serving tennis balls off the side of the bubble.
f) No throwing your racket for any reason.
g) Any damage to Mt. Lebanon Municipality property will be assessed and result in loss of privileges to the tennis/racket facilities.
h) No loud grunting, or other unnecessary noise.
i) Playing music is not permitted except through headphones and only audible to the individual listener.
j) Only tennis is permitted. No pickleball or other activities allowed inside of the bubbles.
k) Before leaving your court, please collect all items and throw away trash.
Younger Children – Children must be at least 11 years old to play on the courts unless they are playing with a parent or guardian. Regardless of age, children must be capable of observing all the rules and regulations while at the tennis center.
Junior Tennis Clinics – Children 10 and younger must be dropped off and picked up at their designated court by a parent or guardian. Please be prompt. Children 10 and younger will not be released without a parent or guardian present. Regardless of age, children must be capable of observing all the rules and regulations while at the tennis center.
Questions? – If you have any questions, you may call the tennis center at (412) 343-3411.
All schedules, rules and policies are subject to change.

Bubble Operations & Pricing:

This season is 27 weeks long, beginning on October 7, 2024 and ending on April 13, 2025. Depending on the day/time of your reservation, you may have 25, 26, or 27 dates depending on our adjusted holiday hours (see below). If your reservation is not available due to holiday hours, your total fee will be pro-rated.
• For the indoor season, adjusted holiday hours are:
• Thursday, November 28: Closed All Day
• Tuesday, December 24: Closing at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 25: Closed All Day
• Tuesday, December 31: Closing at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, January 1: Closed All Day
Our regular operating hours will be 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
After the reservation is confirmed by Tennis Center Manager, payment will be due in full to secure your reservation for the season. All sales are final for the entire season — no refunds. In the event of severe weather or maintenance issue, players will receive makeup time. If you can’t make one of your court times you may offer the time to another group.
If you have any questions, please contact Tennis Center Manager Darin Rauso at 412-343-4561. We look forward to seeing you on the courts!

Court rates are as follows:

Walk up reservations can be made online at mtlrec.activityreg.com

Prime Time includes the following hours:
Monday through Thursday from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
All other hours (including Friday all day) are considered Regular Time.

Court Reservations

Procedures for reserving outdoor courts are described below in the Operating Procedures.

Operating Procedures

Timeslots- All timeslots on all courts are one hour long and begin at the top of the hour. There are no 1.5-hour reservation options. If you plan to play for 1.5 hours, you must make a 2-hour court reservation. There are no designations for singles or doubles courts. There is no time in between timeslots. Please be considerate of others and leave the court promptly at the end of your reservation.
Online reservations- Online reservations are encouraged for tennis courts and the hitting wall. You may make a reservation up to one week in advance by visiting mtlrec.activityreg.com. Payment is due at the time of reservation.
Everyone must check in with the racket center cashier before going to their court.
Splitting payments for court reservations is not permitted. Each group must pay for their court with a single payment/single transaction.
Walk up reservations- Walk up reservations are welcomed if space is available. Court reservations will start and end at the top of the hour regardless of arrival/start time. Please plan accordingly. No credit is given for late starts or early ending times.
Fees- Court fees are $20/court/hr. There are no additional convenience fees for online reservations. The hitting wall is free!
Cancellations- Anyone may cancel their reservation online up to one hour prior to the start time, and a credit will be issued to the account. Beyond one hour prior to the start time, reservation fees are nonrefundable.
Ball Machine- The ball machine is available for rent for $10/hour on top of the court fee (Ex. $20/hour court fee + $10 ball machine = $30). The ball machine is only able to be reserved on courts 11 or 12. Our ball machine waiver must be signed before use of the machine. All balls must be picked up and put back in the machine before the end of the court time.
If your reservation is rained out and you were not able to play at least half of your time (30 minutes for each hour booked) we will put a credit for the full hour ($20/hr.) on your account. If you have played for at least half of the hour, no credit will be issued
Younger Children- Children must be at least 11 years old to play on the courts unless they are playing with a parent or guardian. Regardless of age, children must be capable of observing all the rules and regulations while at the tennis center.
Junior Tennis Clinics- Children 10 and younger must be dropped off and picked up at their designated court by a parent or guardian. Please be prompt. Children 10 and younger will not be released without a parent or guardian present. Regardless of age, children must be capable of observing all the rules and regulations while at the tennis center.
Questions? – If you have any questions, you may call the tennis center at (412) 343-3411.
All rules and policies are subject to change.

Resources

All Tennis Programs and Classes
Reserve a Court Online

Tennis lessons for children and adults are taught by the racket center staff throughout the year. Private lessons are available for groups, or individuals. The racket center also has a pro shop for the sale of logo items and accessories and racket restringing. Click here to see all tennis programs.

Please contact the racket center for more details.

Municipal courts are also located at Williamsburg Park off Sleepy Hollow Road. There is no charge for use of these courts.

Municipal pickleball courts are located at Meadowcroft Park. Click here for more info.

Platform Tennis Courts

Located at the racket center in Mt. Lebanon Park. The Mt. Lebanon Platform Tennis Association (MLPTA) and the municipality operate as partners in the maintenance and upkeep of the platform tennis facilities.
Platform tennis, also known as paddle tennis, is thriving in Mt. Lebanon. Mt. Lebanon fields a number of teams in both the men’s and women’s Western Pennsylvania Platform Tennis Association (WPPTA) leagues. If you are interested in the game of paddle, email MLPTA for assistance. For volley training membership and info, please contact MLPTA.

Reservations

Online Court Reservations

Fees: $16 per court, per 1.5 hours, weekdays prior to 5:30 p.m., and $20 evenings and weekends.
Courts are available for a maximum of 8 days in advance. You may cancel your reservation online up to one hour prior to the start time, and a credit will be issued to your account. Beyond one hour prior to the start time, your reservation fees are nonrefundable. For access to lights or heaters email platformtennis@mtlebanon.org or call (412) 561-4363.

No one under 21 is permitted to reserve facilities. The responsible party reserving the facility must be present at all times during the reservation.

What is Platform Tennis?

It has been described as “the chess game of racquet sports.” It is a unique outdoor tennis game, generally played in cold weather, that requires the patience of a tortoise combined with the speed of a hare. It is a game in which raw power is not the ultimate weapon, but finesse and accuracy are rewarded. Primarily a doubles game, teamwork between partners is also an important feature.

Platform Tennis, also known as paddle tennis, is played on a 20-foot-by-44-foot court, about one-third the size of a conventional tennis court, and is surrounded by 12-foot high “chicken wire” screens. These are located eight feet behind the base lines and five feet from the sidelines. Service lines are drawn in the same manner as tennis.

Rules of the Game

Most of the rules follow regular tennis including the scoring which is 15, 30, 40 and game. There are, however, a few major differences that make Platform Tennis a significantly different game. The first major rule difference is that there is only one serve. If the initial serve is not hit in the receiving area the server loses the point. There is no “second chance” as in tennis.

The most intriguing difference, however, is the use of the screens to keep the ball in play. Just as in tennis, a player may return a shot by either hitting it before it hits the deck or after letting it bounce one time, playing it as a ground stroke. In platform tennis, however, the player has an additional option. The ball is allowed to rebound off the screen after hitting the deck and then is hit before it hits the deck again.

Equipment

The equipment used in the game consists of a short-handled, hard surface paddle and a sponge rubber ball. The paddle has a maximum of 78 holes which is designed to reduce wind resistance and assist in placing spin on the ball. The paddle is 17 inches long and weighs 13 to 17 ounces. The ball is 2.5 inches in diameter and has a yellow “flocking” which is intended to improve its visibility and enhance the player’s control of its flight. Clothing worn by players defies description. There are no prohibitions except that a form of tennis shoe must be worn for safety and preservation of the court surface. In extremely cold weather, players are advised to use several “layers” of dress which are usually peeled off as the play warms up.

Additional Information

Platform tennis is also called paddle tennis, or just paddle, for short. For more information concerning the game of paddle, go to the American Platform Tennis Association’s website. For more information concerning paddle in the Western Pennsylvania area, go to the Western Pennsylvania Platform Tennis Association’s website. There you will find league information, match scores, local tournament information and more.

History of Paddle Tennis in Western Pennsylvania

The Western Pennsylvania Platform Tennis Association (WPPTA) league enrollment of 68 women’s and 49 men’s teams (1,000+ members) was the third largest in the country in 2002, behind Chicago and New Jersey. Other large paddle areas include:

Baltimore
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Connecticut
Detroit
Long Island

Men’s & Women’s Leagues

The WPPTA has both men’s and women’s leagues. The area’s country clubs, racquet clubs and municipalities such as Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair and North Park provide teams that participate in the league.

Men’s Divisions

The WPPTA men’s league consists of 8 divisions with 10 teams per division. Men’s matches are played either Monday, Tuesday or Thursday evenings.

Women’s Divisions

The WPPTA women’s league consists of both day and evening leagues. The women’s day league has 8 divisions, with 8 teams per division, while the women’s night league has 4 divisions, with 8 teams per division. The women’s day league matches are played on either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday mornings and the women’s evening league matches are played on Wednesday nights. League play begins in mid-October and runs through March.