The Pickleball Craze

A Workout and A Game

The pickleball craze has made its way to East Texas, and Longview has places and programs to accommodate! Nationally, the pickleball community has seen an over 80 percent increase in players over the past couple of years, and Longview has its own Pickleball club. Their goal is to grow the game of Pickleball for all ages by cultivating an environment that is fun, healthy, social, and encourages good sportsmanship. While the club organizes games and play, they also want to foster skill development through mentorship and partner with local organizations to promote the game.

Now you hear about pickleball more and more every year. If you had asked someone three or four years ago, they wouldn’t know what it was. It’s interesting to see how it’s grown now.

President of the Longview Pickle Club Dustin Eberhart said.

To be part of this club, there is a $25 annual fee that gets you access to the group chat, early registration for tournaments, and discounts throughout the community. In addition to becoming a member, the Longview Pickleball Club also accepts donations to help with things like improving the facilities, attracting more players, and providing more opportunities to play ball.

The club started in 2019 and in the past year has grown to over 200 members. The goal is to teach people how to play the game and create a community that loves the sport. The club offers different classes, and to get more information, their Facebook page is the place to get updates regarding joining and attending different classes. The overwhelming participation and growing numbers caused the group to seek changes on how some of their classes are offered and run.

Guthrie Park is a great and free spot open to the public where pickleball players of all levels will be able to practice, meet other players, and learn more about the game. Pickleball club’s goal is to advocate and work toward making Longview a place people want to come play. Because of this and help from the City of Longview, they have raised over $40,000 in the past three years to redo the courts at Guthrie Park. The dues and donations of the club help with projects like those and also the general upkeep of Guthrie Park. Looking towards the future, eventually the club would like to advocate for more public court space at more locations to make it accessible for more people and have enough room to accommodate everyone.

We believe everyone should go out and try it.

“We believe everyone should go out and try it. Then find a buddy or two or link up with somebody. Go give it a whirl because it’s a good workout and it’s fun. Even if you’re inexperienced, you go out there, figure it out, and it doesn’t matter how good you are, it’s just fun.” Dustin Eberhart said.

The Longview Pickleball club hosts two tournaments a year, one in the fall and one in the spring for players to compete and showcase their skills. These tournaments bring in people from all over and it’s entertaining for even the spectators watching their friends. The Club also gives members the opportunity to compete in other tournaments and competitions throughout the year.

“Our club is there to grow the sport obviously, teach new people about it, and create a place for people to get a little workout in, meet people, and have fun,” Eberhart said. “The number one thing that people forget about is that they get a little too serious, and you’re supposed to have fun.”

In addition to playing at Guthrie Park, Longview natives can also play at a couple of other private courts. Longview Tennis Club has pickleball courts that are open to the public if their members have not reserved them. The Stafford Wellness Center has three indoor courts in their facilities, a membership is required.