3 minute read
Pickleball Powerhouses
Piddle
Paddle Pickleball
By Fritts Causby
photo by Aris Harding
S
teve Dayvault is no stranger to making history with a racket in his hand.
In fact, his name is synonymous with achievements on the racquetball court, as he was inducted into the N.C. Racquetball Hall of Fame in 2005 after a career filled with open singles and doubles titles in the state as well as national wins in his age bracket.
The achievements led Dayvault, who took up the sport when the Market Street YMCA opened its doors in 1965, to be inducted into the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
These days, Dayvault’s focus has shifted to the sport of pickleball. He explained that the 2016 closing of the Wilmington Athletic Center, where he often played, was a partial catalyst for the decision.
“Racquetball is on the decline,” said Dayvault, “and pickleball is not as hard on the body. Plus, with pickleball, it is usually easy to get a game.”
Dayvault said that the average game only lasts about 15 to 30 minutes. Along with the fact that it is played on a relatively small, badmintonsized court and approaching the net is against the rules, this makes it a relatively low-impact activity. The area within 7 feet of each side of the net is called the kitchen, and it is illegal for a player to hit a ball there before it bounces.
Pickleball has a legion of devotees across the nation, and the numbers are only expected to increase.
In fact, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association recently reported that the popularity of the sport grew in 2021 to include about 4.8 million players nationwide. People love the fast pace, simple rules and social aspect of the game, which is partially why it is the fastest-growing sport in the nation, according to the association.
Holly Manning, president of the 500-memberstrong Cape Fear Pickleball Club (CFPB), estimates that there are between 1,600 to 1,800 players in Wilmington and the surrounding area. Many of them can be found on private courts in communities such as Brunswick Forest, Magnolia Greens and St. James Plantation.
Those who are interested in finding a public place to play in New Hanover County can consider joining the club, as doing so allows access to the courts at Robert Strange Park, Greenfield Lake Park and Veterans Park. The club
maintains a lockbox with nets and balls at these locations for members to use, so they can modify the tennis courts for pickleball.
“There are 87 tennis courts in New Hanover County but only six pickleball courts,” Manning said.
“Getting court space has been a struggle, but we are going to keep trying,” Dayvault said. “The thing is, you can do twice as much with one court with pickleball as you can with tennis.”
Dayvault, who manages and helps coordinate the schedule of more than 80 local players, added that: “I have to thank Dr. John Ludwig and Steve Lombardi, as they were instrumental in getting our group together. Our group is comprised of around 60% men and 40% women. Basically, anyone with experience playing sports with a racket can pick it up really fast.”
The startup costs are relatively inexpensive, as the only thing that is really necessary is a racket. Rackets start at about $40; a good one can be had for about $80.
The price for joining CFPC starts at $25 a year, and in addition to lockbox maintenance, the dues cover everything the club does to promote the sport. This ranges from providing lessons to holding charity benefits, such as its recent spring tournament to benefit the Domestic Violence Shelter and Services.
With numerous public and private facilities in Brunswick County, including the area’s only indoor facility, the House of Pickleball, the region might have to increase current efforts to meet the demand. But with a new large, private project being considered for an 8-acre tract at 5000 N. College Road in Castle Hayne, the growth outlook for the sport might be as fast as the pace of play.
“This started out as a sport mainly for seniors, but we have a lot of teenagers and 20-somethings now,” Dayvault said. “Pickleball is just a really inclusive sport; it’s really easy to learn, and there is a quick learning curve.”
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