Registration is live for Bainbridge Island’s first indoor pickleball tournament, the Battle of the Paddles.

The tourney will take place at the BI Recreation Center over three days starting March 7 and will feature men’s, women’s and mixed doubles.

Players will compete on four indoor pickleball courts, including the existing two striped on the basketball court at BIRC. Striping for two new pickleball courts will be added to one of the tennis courts in preparation for the tournament and other community events.

“The new lines on the tennis courts will only be used for scheduled programming to support a robust community,” parks recreation division director Madison Collins said.

Opportunities to play pickleball on covered courts are limited on BI, but that may change soon. At the Oct. 17 board meeting of the BI Metro Parks and Recreation District, the BI Pickleball Club shared a proposal for a new indoor facility at Strawberry Hill Park.

The structure would be the second-largest pickleball arena in Kitsap County and the largest on BI, and would accommodate night and wet-weather play. The club selected the Strawberry Hill site because of its accessibility and central location, infrastructure, flat grading and proximity to the entrance to the park — which would limit noise and vehicle traffic.

Year-round play is the goal because wet conditions and heat affect play, club chair Melissa Bang-Knudsen said, adding the club is interested in community input to secure a venue that stakeholders support.

Architect Jonathan Thwaites shared a concept for a lit, open-air, covered facility. “The idea is to integrate sustainable principles and regional design,” he said.

Parks commissioner Dawn Janow said she is on board with the proposition; as the birthplace of pickleball, she likes the idea of being at the forefront of providing a cool and environmentally sound building.

To register for the Battle of the Paddles, visit pickleballbrackets.com