Instead of choosing between tennis, badminton or ping pong, pickleball offers aspects of each rolled into one sport. “Pickleball 101” is taking place every Monday until Sept. 22 from 6 to 7 p.m. at Meadowbrook Park.
“We’re trying to introduce the people to the balls, the differences of the paddles and how to play the game,” Steve Garver said, “from what the easy hits and harder hits are, to how to score.”
Garver is part of a group of local pickleball enthusiasts, some of whom have played for seven years. Others are just beginning.
“Anyone can play it,” he said. “A kid needs to be old enough so that they can understand the rules and the scoring as well as the game. If they can play badminton or tennis they could play this.”
The group provides equipment for beginners looking to learn how to play.
Garver said paddles can cost more than $70, which is why he supplies paddles for people learning to play.
It’s easy to get hooked.
“I haven’t seen someone who starts the game, not get addicted to the sport,” Garver said. “Dave (Fontaine), he rides and does maintenance on the bike trail. I talked him into coming out here to play pickleball. Once he played he said, ‘Great, now I’ve got to find more time to play pickleball.’”
Garver explained the sport as “kind of like playing table tennis standing on the table. It’s a mixture of badminton, ping pong and tennis.” Two people can play against each other, or as doubles, pitting two against two.
It’s more than just a sport, he added.
“It’s a social activity as well,” Garver said. “It’s the fastest growing sport in the United States right now, they’re playing it a lot in retirement communities.”
According to pickleball.com, more than 100,000 people in the United States play the sport. Garver hopes that the “101” course will encourage people to come out and enjoy the game.
The group plans on hosting a tournament on Sept. 22.
“This is a public court that belongs to the city,” Garver said. “We’ve been trying to figure out a way to help maintain the courts for the city. We do a lot of the maintenance ourselves. We paint the court and put the lines on. But, we don’t have enough resources and money to paint the whole court.”
The group hopes the tournament is a start toward finding a way to generate enough funds to maintain the court and improve its condition. If interested in joining, visit the park at 6 p.m. every Monday until Sept. 22.
Pickleball bundles three sports in one
