Pickleball

IN A PICKLE PICKLEBALL GROWING IN POPULARITY STORY & PHOTOS BY CARL PATZEL

In the early days of its inception pickleball was the Rodney Dangerfield of sport – it didn’t get much respect. Perhaps it’s the anomalous, slightly juvenile, name that drew a little disdain among serious sporting buffs. After all, how many other athletic pursuits utilize a common grocery item for its moniker?

That, and distinctive terminology like kitchen, dink, banger, erne and bash, added to the mockery.

But whatever ridicule this paddle game endured, popularity soon grew, prompting it to become what some say is the fastest growing sport in North America.

Pickleball is played on a badminton-size court with a solid, racquetball-sized paddle and a plastic, multi-holed whiffle ball. Rules are similar to tennis with an underhand serve and a no-volley zone, better known as the “kitchen,” where players aren’t allowed inside unless the ball bounces.

Compared to other racquet sports, pickleball is relatively easy to learn and your average, or even below average, athlete could be playing an actual game in no time.

“Pickleball is relatively easy to learn and your average, or even below average, athlete could be playing an actual game in no time”

Invented sometime during the 1960s, Albertans migrating south to Arizona and Florida for the chilly months discovered this oddly named sport, helping to bring the game back to sunny Airdrie.

As a former competitive tennis player and instructor, I’ve played pretty much every racquet sport invented. Wearing out my hip cartilage over years of sporting abuse, I was instructed to put down the tennis racquet. Years, and a bit of metal later, I discovered the much shorter pickleball paddle.

Depending on your background on-court styles can vary, from the slicing squash player, lobbing badminton player, to the heavy topspin tennis player.

Those adopting the tennis power game earn the brand of ‘banger’ on the smaller court. Despite having given, and taken, a few whiffle-ball tattoos, the short, soft-touch game (dinking) is essential to rise in the pickleball ranks. While I’ve adapted to these skills (some opponents may argue) driving hard shots have earned tournament medals at the higher levels.

Dinking or driving, one only has to visit the tiny courts to see loads of whiffle ball whackers early in the morning and late into the day. Admiration for pickleball continues to grow on the local scene, with Airdrie Pickleball Club spearheading the building of four dedicated courts at Nose Creek Park, completed in 2018.

The local club – dedicated diehards who played outdoors throughout this past winter’s pandemic restrictions – started out with a dozen or so players growing to over 100 with more joining every season.

Following suit, cities across North America are building multicourt facilities, upwards of 10-20 courts, as the younger crowd, families and more competitive minded are joining the pickleball revolution. This once-cute activity is no longer the disrespected punchline in the sporting world. life