6 minute read
Pickleball Craze
PickleballCrazeby Julie Dunlap // photography by trenton bush
Advertisement
This may evoke memories of being shooed away from the cookie dough as a child, but the phrase carries an entirely different meaning to fanatics of pickleball, one of America’s fastest-growing sports that has literally and figuratively redrawn the boundaries of paddle games.
Conceived in Bainbridge Island, Washington, in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCollum, the sport has expanded from three dads trying to entertain their kids in a unique way one summer to more than 4.8 million players on more than 38,000 courts nationwide.
CONTINUED P. 20 »
“We first heard about pickleball
when we were visiting my sister and brother-in-law in South Carolina in 2018,” says Lawrence pickleball enthusiast Leslie Hawley. “Their community has pickleball courts, and they taught us to play. We had extended family with us aged 8 to 80, and everybody was able to play.”
Leslie and her husband, Blake, continued playing pickleball at home in Kansas casually with friends for a few years, frequenting their local pickleball courts more regularly as COVID restrictions began to ease.
“There are really only a few basic rules that, once you master, hours of fun await,” Blake says.
The simplicity and social nature of the sport have helped propel its popularity exponentially in recent years. The game is often compared to being a cross between tennis and ping pong, with both singles and doubles players matched up on opposing sides of a net. Players wield solid surface paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball back and forth over the net.
“Pickleball is super fun to play and super fun to learn,” says Nikki Weigel, a USA Pickleball Ambassador for Douglas County and board member for the recently formed organization Pickleball Lawrence. Learning the rules of scorekeeping, serving and volleying (example: a non-volley zone – also called the kitchen – extends seven feet from the net on either side; players may not hit from inside this area unless the ball bounces within it first) takes a very short time, but mastering the strategies and techniques help make pickleball a lifetime sport.
“There is endless opportunity to hone and improve one’s game,” Leslie says.
“People compare it to a chess game,” says Weigel, noting that the power, speed and agility that tend to vary by age and gender can be leveled with strategy. This is one of the few sports that allows females to compete against males and older players to compete against younger players when all are equally rated.
Weigel says, “A friend of mine is 77, and she can kick my butt!”
CONTINUED P. 22 »
Clockwise from top: Tracy Leigh, Gayle West, Nikki Weigel, Leslie Hawley
Currently, roughly 47% of all pickleball players are women.
However, the rate of women’s involvement is growing more quickly than men. It is estimated that half of all pickleball players are over the age of 35. “Pickleball can be a lot of things to a lot of people. It can be a social outlet; it can be a youth program; competitive or recreational,” Weigel says.
USA Pickleball supports this wide reach, offering grants to high schools and community organizations, training/certifying referees and sanctioning 153 tournaments last year, including the USA Pickleball National Championships near Palm Springs, California.
In addition to its relatively simple initial learning curve, pickleball can be far more affordable than other athletic endeavors, as equipment usually runs under $100 and local recreation centers and parks often offer court time free of charge. The time commitment is relatively low, with an average game lasting 15 minutes. All these factors make it the lifetime sport of the present and future.
CONTINUED P. 24 »
– NIKKI WEIGEL
– BLAKE HAWLEY
But perhaps one of the greatest aspects of pickleball is how it brings people together.
“Pickleball is very social,” Blake says, “so even if you show up to free play, as long as you let folks know you’re a beginner, they’ll teach, encourage and get you to join in.”
While the Hawleys originally learned to play pickleball as a family activity, they love sharing the sport with each other as empty nesters.
“We enjoy pickleball as a couple because it is something we enjoy equally,” says Leslie of playing with Blake. “An unexpected benefit is how many new people we’ve met since we started playing a lot of (recreational) pickleball. These are all people we would not have otherwise met, and it has been really enjoyable.” Weigel agrees.
She says, “When I get on the pickleball court, I feel joy. Almost everybody is smiling. It’s like being a child again at recess on the playground. And what better feeling is there than that?”
CONTINUED P. 26 »
– NIKKI WEIGEL
2%
*With direct deposit, e-statements, and 15 debit card transactions per month When monthly requirements are met, the Premier account earns 2.01% Annual PercentageYield, on the average daily balance up to and including $19,999.99 and 0.2% Annual PercentageYield, for any balance over that amount. If the monthly requirements are not met, this account will earn 0.2% interest, 0.20% Annual PercentageYield, on the entire account balance. Interest bonus criteria must be met during a full months statement cycle. At our discretion, we may change the interest rate on your account.
ELLY CLAUSSEN
eclaussen@mid-americabank.com NMLS 2172447 ANDREW MADL
amadl@mid-americabank.com NMLS 1463724
>>> Pick up a paddle and play!
No partner? No problem!
Pickleball players are very friendly and eager to share their passion with new players:
1. Head out to almost any open play by yourself.
2. Explain you’re a beginner and let an experienced player take you under her wing.
3. Rotate in every chance you get – you’ll be hooked in no time! n
Where to play: pickleballrush.com
Pickleball Lawrence: pickleballlawrence.com
