DALLAS, TX – We’ve all been there.

Playing peacefully at your favorite local park, enjoying the sweet sounds of pickleball, when all of a sudden someone rolls up to the court with a speaker blaring tunes.

If you’re lucky, they’re playing the kind of music you enjoy. I'd appreciate some Taylor Swiftor or Noah Kahan, even though it probably isn't the most hype playlist for a match.

But like all kinds of art, people have different tastes. And while I might be over the moon that Karen started playing “Down Bad,” other players might roll their eyes.

That raises the question: Is playing music at pickleball courts fun or annoying?

Matt Kenney raised this very issue and sought advice from fellow players in the  Pickleball Facebook Forum. 

“I am the designated DJ in our rec group. One lady, we’ll call her Karen (actually her real name), complained about music saying it distracts her. Everyone else loves it. Do I acquiesce for Karen and shut it down, or go with the overwhelming majority and keep the music playing?” she asked.

Suggestions flooded the comment section. 

“Turn it up louder,” said Gil Brassard Jr. 

“Play the music and enjoy,” said Virginia Davis-Galambos.

“Karen should find another venue to play at,” said Mark L. Brown. 

It appears that only one person at this particular park that has an issue with the music. And if the overwhelming majority enjoys it, do you comply with one person's request? Or should majority rule at a public park?

Unfortunately, there really isn't a clear answer. 

There's a similar issue that plagues public park authorities and communities across the country – constant noise complaints from the pop-pop-pop of pickleballs being hit back and forth. In Fairfax County, VA, authorities decided that one person's discomfort was enough to eliminate the issue entirely, so courts were painted over and eliminated.

The majority was affected in that situation.

Some practical suggestions were posted on the Forum. Perhaps there could be designated music days during the week, play the music at a lower volume, wear headphones to cancel out the music, or play your preferred tracks through your earbuds, which I think is the best option of the bunch.

Personally, if someone is playing music while I’m trying to play pickleball, I also get distracted because I want to dance instead of focusing on returns. 

But, that's my own pickleball battle. 

What do you think? Turn the music off or let the music play? Leave us a comment on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).