FEATURE
Let’s play pickleball! It’s the country’s fastest growing sport BY JUDITH A. RUCKI Pickleball can contribute to weight loss. Depending on intensity, an average person can burn 500 to 700 calories, and get up to 5,000 steps in one hour.
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sk your friends what they’re doing for exercise, and you may hear they’re playing pickleball. A racket sport combining elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, pickleball’s simple rules make it easy to learn. Island’s “Pickleball Island started According to the USA Pickleball boats.” Another tale of provenance seven years after we started playing Association, the game was invented claims that a family dog, Pickle, in Buffalo,” Santerre says of the often ran off with the ball. by three dads with bored kids. As largest indoor dedicated pickleball Jason Santerre, owner and for the name, one story says the wife of one of the creators called founder of buffalopickleball.com, facility in New York State. “The says he started pickleball in Western place is packed.” the new game pickleball because Hamburg resident Lynette “the combination of different New York thirteen years ago, which Meslinsky got interested in sports reminded me of the pickle “created a monster” that Ken boat in crew, where oarsmen were Knight, Dave Miller, Erik Maeder, pickleball because her husband, and Jon Brown helped grow. Grand Al, played, and “was always talking chosen from the leftovers of other COME HOME TO
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about how much fun it was.” Meslinsky started playing when she retired in 2016 and “never stopped. Like many pickleball players, I’m a former tennis player. It’s just so much more fun and a little easier on the body.” “Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of pros are former tennis players,” notes Santerre, who adds that because it’s appropriate for all ages and skill levels, pickleball is a good introductory sport. “The size of court is smaller; you aren’t running as much distance. A lot of the game is played near the net. It’s easier on knees and ankles.” While not as intense or physical as tennis, pickleball can still be challenging, fast-paced, and competitive. Two or four players—singles, doubles, or mixed doubles—use paddles to hit a perforated polymer ball over a net. A game lasts between fifteen and twenty-five minutes. Santerre says an average player’s session is two and a half hours minimum. Pickleball activates all muscle groups because of the full body movement needed to play. It also challenges balance and agility and increases heart rate to provide a good cardiovascular workout. Depending on intensity, an average person can burn 500 to 700 calories, and get up to 5,000 steps, in one hour. In addition to physical benefits, pickleball provides mental health boosts, because socializing is such a big part of it. On the smaller court, players are close enough to hold conversations. Plus, players say they don’t experience the frustration of other sports, which can get too competitive. “I read once that racket sports are the best exercise for senior citizens,” says Meslinsky. “The reasons were that racket sports are built-in interval exercise, include socialization, are fun, and improve agility, fitness, and balance. Pickleball does all of that. “Most courts operate on a rotating basis,” she continues. “Paddles are lined up and, as games finish, new
