Discovering The Mature Lifestyle
A passion for old films and movies becomes Richfield man’s career. Page 4
Arts & Recreation
April 22, 2016
April Issue
BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Pickleball is a game that has nothing to do with jars of dills, and everything to do with a growing sport for senior citizens. It is a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Two, three, or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, similar to a wiffle ball, over a net. Amber Jacobson, community services specialist in the city of Burnsville, said pickleball has been a popular sport with senior citizens for the last few years. Any age can play, and it’s taught in the schools, according to Jacobson. “It came from the folks who go south for the winter,” Jacobson said. “It’s popular there. It’s less intense than tennis. You use half a court, the ball is lighter, and you don’t run as much, though you still get a good workout.” Burnsville has several special outdoor pickleball courts: four at North River Hills Park and two courts at Neill Park. “They’re tennis courts, painted for pickleball,” Jacobson said. Indoor pickleball space is available through the YMCA and Burnsville Community Education, she said. Steve Jensen, activities coordinator for ISD 191 Community Education, said indoor courts are reserved for pickleball at different times. Classes for beginners begin in June. “They bring their own balls and paddles,” Jensen said. “We’re trying to find
Pickleball has become a popular sport with senior citizens in Burnsville. (Submitted photo) more indoor space. It seems to be the hot thing for elder adults to be doing.” Robin Jones of Eagan, a two-year player who calls herself “a young senior 55,” says her pickleball friends are in their 60s and 70s. “The sport is absolutely growing,” Jones said. “I like it because it’s not a hard ball like tennis. It’s a smaller court, so there’s not as much running around the court. It’s all underhand. It’s easier on the body, more mellow. There’s a lot of eyehand coordination. To me, it’s great exer-
cise.” The Eagan YMCA supplies balls and paddles, Jones said. But, she added, “Everybody buys their own because there are different grades of balls. The short-handle paddles are compact, not like tennis rackets, and they range from $60 to $150.” She and her husband, Richard, are actively involved in getting more dedicated outdoor pickleball courts in Eagan, Jones said. “The community center has indoor
courts, but not enough times,” Jones said. “We need more times and venues. There’s a lot of talk about using old tennis courts, but they’re too big; they need to be scaled down.” Jones said she first heard about the game seven or eight years ago from a neighbor. “It wasn’t big here,” she said. “I’ve always had it in the back of my head.” As a YMCA member in Eagan, she said, “I asked them to tell me how to play, and they gave me the rundown. It’s easy to learn in about 10 minutes.” Jones plays three to four times a week, mainly at the Eagan YMCA in the wintertime. “I like to play outdoors in the summer,” Jones said, noting that it’s usually a matter of showing up at a court and finding people there to play. “Indoor places have designated times to play,” she said. She notes that the “whole social aspect” of the game finds players going out to lunch or dinner after they play. “I’ve got a slew of new friends,” she said. Jim and Donna Blomquist of Burnsville both play pickleball: at home during the summer, and in Florida and Arizona during the winter. “We first heard about it in Arizona last year,” Donna said. “It was a popular game with seniors there. But it’s not just seniors who are playing. A lot of younger people play in Arizona, too.” Last summer, she noticed that Burnsville offered a four-week class at River Hills on Wednesdays. “We jumped on it,” Blomquist said. “It was a really well done PICKLEBALL - TO PAGE 3