The Pickleball Takeover Part One

younger players as they tend to hit smarter not harder.”

With more than 36 million players nationwide, pickleball has raced across the U.S., quickly becoming its fastest growing sport. In Great Neck, there are several locations to play, including the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Great Neck and Allenwood Park.

The game, which is a combination of badminton, tennis and ping pong, is uniquely accessible for people of all ages and skill levels. The small dimensions of a pickleball court — one-fourth the size of a tennis court — are appealing to older crowds.

“The beauty of pickleball is that people can learn and play quickly. While skill levels vary, the game is so popular now that people can always find others to play with at their same level” said David Radisch, the Director of Pickleball at SPORTIME Port Washington.

“Pickleball is about angles and strategy, not necessarily about how hard you can hit the ball. This is the reason why many older people can play competitively against

In addition, paddles are affordable — the cheapest wooden options are $10 — and wiffle balls can be used, furthering the game’s inclusivity. The most expensive professional paddles can sell for more than $150. The sport can be enjoyed in a singles or doubles format.

The only indoor pickleball courts in Great Neck are found at the JCC. The program offers six-week pickleball clinics for first-time players and advanced beginners, as well as court rentals — $15 for a 90-minute slot — for those wishing to play.

The social aspects of the sport are especially appealing.

“You can go to any outdoor public court, with friends or by yourself, and just put your paddle into a rack or bucket, and wait to play the next game.” said Radisch. “The culture of pickleball is to play with lots of different people, which creates new friendships, rivalries and overall camaraderie. In just 90 minutes, you can play with and against dozens of new people from a variety of different backgrounds.”

At Allenwood Park, there are lines taped over existing tennis courts to allow for pickleball play. This location is free to use with a Great Neck Park District park card. Pickleball was invented by congressman Joel Pritchard and businessman Bill Bell in Bainbridge Island, Washington in 1965. Following a summer golf outing, the two men returned to Pritchard’s house, only to find their families with nothing to do. There was an old badminton court on the property, but with no available badminton equipment, they instead played with ping pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball. They initially played with the net at the standard badminton height of 60 inches. However, the net was lowered to 36 inches, with the ball bouncing nicely over it on the asphalt. The following weekend, Barney McCallum was introduced to pickleball at Pritchard’s house, and the three men created the rules for the game.

Since then, pickleball has exploded in popularity. Membership in USA Pickleball, the governing body for the sport founded in 2013, grew to 70,000 people in only 10 years.

“This sport was originally associated with senior citizens and was played predominantly in retirement communities. As younger people started playing, the game started catching on,” said Radisch. “Over [the] past several years, as more people started playing, more people became addicted to it. I have never seen such demand for an activity like I’ve seen for pickleball over the past 2-3 years.”

Part two of The Pickleball Takeover will cover how to prevent common Pickleball injuries. Part two will be featured in the Aug. 2 issue of the Great Neck Record.