PICKLEBALL

Continued from page 8 group Sports & Fitness Industry Association says the number of people playing pickleball around the United States grew by 159 percent over three years to 8.9 million in 2022.

The game is considered easy to play, low impact and appeals to a wide range of people, from children to senior citizens. It’s a game resembling tennis in which players use paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball over a net and can be played outdoors or indoors. A typical game is doubles with two players on each side of the court.

The sport has become so popular that Island Athletics on Grosse Ile has expanded pickleball court time to meet the demands of members. Same with the YMCA in Southgate. And at the ceremonial groundbreaking of The Bank Tower in Southgate, the builder announced that pickleball courts would be part of the apartment’s outdoor recreational facilities.

Many Downriver players can’t get enough pickleball.

Grosse Ile resident Lisa BlanzyGlines, who has been playing for three years, now competes about five times a week: outdoors in Riverview, Wyandotte and Woodhaven, indoors at Island Athletics and sometimes in Ann Arbor for lessons and drills.

Lisa Wayne, CEO of the Downriver Community Conference, plays locally and enters tournaments throughout the region, in Michigan and other states.

“You can go anywhere and play,” the Riverview resident said. “You take your paddle. You dress for it. You can play pickup games with other people. That’s the great thing about it: You meet so many people. It’s good exercise and it’s fun.”

Jenee Osburne, owner of Daybreak Salon and Spas in Wyandotte, travels with her 13-year-old son Dominic to play in tournaments across the country. Dominic has been sponsored by the Selkirk paddle company since he was 10 years old.

As pickleball ambassador, Snider is charged with promoting the sport in the region – a responsibility he takes very seriously. He works with local parks and recreation officials to help spread the word, hosts clinics and helps organize leagues and tournaments. If you want to play pickleball, he can tell you where the courts are located.

A certified instructor, Snider has watched pickleball grow in popularity. His popular classes teach everything from the basics to strategy to precision.

“Pickleball is a hybrid sport,” the Grosse Ile resident said. “It’s ping pong on your feet. It uses skills from tennis, badminton, squash and racquetball. Pickleball changes the better you get. It becomes a chess match on your feet.”

Snider said pickleball saved his life. After suffering a heart attack, his doctor told him he would have died if he had not been exercising by playing pickleball.

“People are very passionate about pickleball,” he said. “For lack of a better word, pickleball is almost a cult.”

Stacy Gajewski, a teacher at Forest Elementary School in Riverview, said playing pickleball has helped her recover from hip surgery and overcome breast cancer.

“Pickleball has been huge in my recovery,” the Trenton resident said. “It keeps me busy, keeps me active and being around all of the people keeps me with a positive attitude. I have a tennis background and I took pickleball lessons a couple years ago. I fell in love with it.”

Indeed, local players enjoy the friendships they make and the camaraderie of playing pickleball.

“The pickleball community Downriver are genuine and truly the nicest people I’ve met,” said BlanzyGlines. “One of my newly widowed friends said that pickleball saved her life.”

Some local officials really understand the popularity of the sport. Sheryl Riley, superintendent of recreation in Wyandotte, said the city has plans for more pickleball courts.

“I think pickleball is a great thing,” said Todd Dickman, recreation director in the City of Riverview and an advanced level player himself. “I play a good amount. I’m 51. It’s a great sport for any age, actually. You can find competition at any level.”

Like Dickman, Trenton recreation coordinator Kenzie Roberts thinks it’s important to offer pickleball classes –by Snider – and quality facilities.

“We get a lot of requests,” Roberts said. “The classes fill up quickly. When we added a second class, we had a waiting list. Tom’s a great teacher.

“I really like pickleball. Out of all of the racket sports, it’s the easiest one to pick up. It’s really fun.”

Bobbie Parsons of Island Athletics said staff converts tennis courts into pickleball courts because of the demand from members. She said a two-day pickleball tournament in April at her business drew hundreds of players and raised thousands of dollars to support a cure for multiple myeloma.

The Grosse Ile Golf and Country Club has brought back pickleball due to members’ requests. The club has two clay courts and two regular courts.

“I would say it’s been pretty active out there to say the least,” said Claire Walters, director of marketing and membership.

Ambassador Snider said more outdoor and indoor courts are needed in the all-weather state of Michigan.

“It’s getting more and more popular,” he said. “More courts are being built. There are more opportunities to play. When I became ambassador, my goal was to do my best to build up pickleball as much as I can. I’ve done a fairly good job.”