It’s lots of fun, competitive as you want and a good way to sneak in activity without dreading exercise Rules are simple if not a little quirky. (Hint don’t get caught in the kitchen.) Controversy might crop up over a call on the court, but no one usually gets too heated et’s clear this up first. The game of about it. The biggest controversy may be pickleball has nothing whatsoever to do the question with pickles – of whether well, at least not pickleball is when you spell played first and “pickles” with a foremost for fun, lower case “p.” a competitive More on the rush, or as a name later. sneaky way So … what is to be active pickleball? without dreading It’s a game exercise. concocted And though with elements pickleball was of tennis, invented for and badminton, loved by kids, racquetball and those pesky older ping-pong with folks are the ones a twist of Wiffle you’ll probably ball tossed see enjoying in for good themselves on measure. You the courts in play it indoors Luis Lopez follows through with form Cullman. or outdoors on a developed over a lifetime of sports. You can play badminton-sized singles, but most court using a people enjoy modified tennis doubles for the social aspects of the game. net over which you swat a plastic ball with holes in it using what appear to be oversized, But because of the coronavirus, Cullman Park, Recreation and Sports Tourism had squared-away ping-pong paddles.
Story and photos By David Moore
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to cancel indoor pickleball at the Donald E. Green Active Adult Center. Since May, however, the group of 15 or so local players have resumed play Tuesday and Thursday evenings at neighboring Ingle Park where Park and Rec built four outside courts. As a note, while pickleball itself is not contagious, it is apparently quite addictive.
D
an and Becky Stevens were among Cullman’s first pickleball players. In February 2019 they responded to an announcement that Stephanie Neal, director of the active adult center, placed in the Cullman Shoppers’ Guide that the center planned to open an indoor court. Becky, who was a Gregory growing up in Gold Ridge, retired five years ago from East Elementary. Dan, a specialist with Alabama Health Guidance Medicare Insurance, moved to Cullman in 1990. When they met, tennis was one of their commonalities. They had friends in Phoenix, Ariz., who were playing pickleball a decade ago, but
