Pickleball Gaining Popularity
New Year’s resolutions aside, most people know they could be in better shape. Improved eating habits will certainly help, but exercise is really the magic bullet. So wouldn’t it be nice to be able to get healthy with some exercise that is beneficial and fun? Time to try pickleball.
Pickleball (yes, it is actually called pickleball) grew from humble beginnings in 1965, when a group of enterprising men put up a badminton net, but had to work around not having a shuttlecock. They lowered the net, found a whiffle ball, and fabricated paddles from some wood they found in a shed. The goal was to create a fun game that the entire family could play, and it has certainly evolved into that. With formal rules, governing organizations, and over 100,000 players in the US alone, pickleball has become the fastest growing sport in North America.
The game is a mixture of badminton, tennis, and ping pong. It is still played on a badminton size court (20’ wide by 44’ long), with a paddle that is typically wooden like a ping pong paddle and a whiffle ball, and the game is played with a mid-court net much like tennis. The rules are not complicated, and anyone can be playing in minutes. Getting into pickleball is as simple as showing up and playing – no lessons needed.
Don Goodine serving the ball at the Heritage Fitness Center courts.
Since the court is relatively small, games are typically very fast-paced with few delays. Games are played to 11 points (you score only when you are serving), and are typically over in 10-15 minutes. While lots of people play singles games, doubles is the usual way the game is played. And since most people simply show up and play at “open” events, players are constantly changing partners. This makes the game very sociable. No booking of courts, and no trying to find people to play – just show up. It is a great way to meet people and have some fun. It is also an excellent way for tennis players to stay in shape over the winter months, and more than a few tennis players have converted completely to pickleball once they’ve experienced it.
As skill levels improve, the game can become very competitive, making it attractive to all ages. Pickleball has been a huge hit with the seniors’ communities in the southern US (Florida and Arizona in particular), but there is substantial growth in all age groups. Tournaments and ladders can be a little bit hard to find in Canada, but in the US there are numerous tournaments for all levels of play. If you are wintering in the US, then you have probably already encountered pickleball communities.
In Carleton Place, there are two places to play – indoors during the winter at the Carambeck Community Centre, and outdoors during the summer at the Heritage Community Fitness Centre. The winter schedule for pickleball at Carambeck includes Mondays and Thursdays from 8 to 10 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m. There is a passionate group of players already involved and newcomers are always welcome. Just show up, or call Carambeck at 613-257-1704 for more information.
Linda Pond is the local Carleton Place contact for pickleball, and she can be reached at [email protected]. There is also an active Facebook group for Carleton Place Pickleball at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pickleballcp/.
Linda Pond enjoying a match at the Heritage Fitness Center courts.
If you need a fun way to get that needed exercise, you won’t find a better way to do it than pickleball.
Michael Gauthier
March 12, 2015 – This post was written specifically for and was published on-line by The Carleton Place Almonte Canadian Gazette on their web site, and in print in their weekly newspaper. It is also available for sale to other interested magazines and web sites, and can be modified to suit. Please contact Michael Gauthier with any inquiries.
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