Mike Welter’s Success and Persistence Benefits Southwest Florida Pickleball Players
Mike Welter’s Success and Persistence Benefits Southwest Florida Pickleball Players
By Nick Gandy
Backing down from a challenge is not in Mike Welter’s DNA.
When he traveled to Clearwater from his hometown of Cape Coral and came up short, advancing to the Florida Senior Games gold medal pickleball matches in 2015 and 2016 and spending the majority of three days on a court, he didn’t give up.
He returned in 2017, won two gold and a silver medal and was named the 2017 Florida Senior Games Male Athlete of the Year.
In the summer of 2018, when a stroke left the left side of his body paralyzed, he didn’t give up and accepted his Athlete of the Year Award in person at the 2018 Florida Senior Games.
He also didn’t give up on his goal of competing in the 2019 National Senior Games and qualified in mixed doubles, prior to his stroke, in Ohio, with his mixed doubles partner, Bobbi Little. They were on the courts in Albuquerque, NM in the summer of 2019.
He admitted afterwards, he couldn’t see out of his left eye.
His determination also brought him to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where in 2018, he spent time in a hospital recovering from his stroke, to win a National Senior Games men’s doubles gold medal in 2023, with his partner, George Batista.
So what’s next for Mike Welter after achieving those inspirational on-the court accomplishments?
He turned his attention to matters at home. His persistence to construct a first-class pickleball complex in his hometown of Cape Coral, Florida, finally paid off. The Courts, Cape Coral, officially opened about a year ago, for residents and visitors to enjoy for years to come.
“It took me five years and three mayors to make this happen,” Welter said.
Realizing his passion and determination as a top-notch pickleball player and as someone who wants to share his love for the game with others, the City of Cape Coral took things a step further.
While on the court, in December, during one of his four days a week workout and match play, he was interrupted by staff members of The Courts and several family members.
He was informed, The Championship Court of the 32-court complex will be known as the Colonel Mike Welter Championship Court.
“I am very humbled by the City of Cape Coral honoring me in such a way,” Welter said.
Then he added with a laugh. “My wife knew about it for months and kept it a secret from me.”
Some others knew as well and were there to share the news.
“Mike, he started all of this. Without him, it would have never have gotten off the ground,” said Ed Bolter, a friend of Welter’s, in a December, 2025 article in the Cape Coral Daily Breeze.
“The great thing about Mike, with all the tournaments he’s played in — and it’s been hundreds of them — and all the medals that he’s won, which has been hundreds, he had the most experience of anybody out there.”
The Courts has signed a contract with the Pro Pickleball Association, with tournaments to be hosted at the complex for years to come.
Welter is still collecting hardware, as he and partner Barb Castillo are achieving success playing as a mixed-doubles pair. The duo won a silver medal at the 2025 Florida Senior Games in Wesley Chapel.
His competition in the Florida Senior Games began in 2013, and for five years, Welter played in the championship matches of all three FSG Pickleball events.
Every year, until his Athlete of the Year winning performance in 2017, he came up short in one event to win two gold medals and a silver. In 2017, he won the 60-64 mixed doubles gold (with Bobbi Little of North Fort Myers for the third consecutive year) and the 65-69 men’s doubles championship.
From 2015 through 2017. Welter played in over 40 total matches for his six gold and three silver medals. He also won a men’s doubles silver medal at the 2017 National Senior Games.
Welter is also not one to shy away from his comfort zone of Florida. Over the years, he has traveled to Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia for senior games competitions.
For years to come, pickleball players will pass by the Colonel Mike Welter Championship Court, in hopes of achieving the highest level of success.
They will need the persistence of Mike Welter to not back down from a challenge to achieve that success.
Nick Gandy is a 30-year sports communications professional who has worked with the Florida Sports Foundation, the state of Florida’s lead sports promotion and development organization, since 1998.