I find that recently I have become an avid pickleball player. That's a sentence I didn't think I would write even two years ago. Now when I say yeah, I play pickleball, a lot of people ask me, what is pickleball?
The answer to that is that pickleball is a racket (racquet?) sport played using a Wiffle ball and a racket on a small court, usually with two versus two with a net in between. The goal is to score more points than your opponent. You score points when you serve and the other team doesn't return the ball. Games go by until one of the teams has 11 points and is declared the winner.
Pickleball is a sport which was invented 20 years back by Johnathan Pickle. OK, I made that part up. It was actually invented in the 1960s as a children's backyard pastime. Apparently, in Washington state some bored people on vacation were trying to set up badminton but couldn't find the shuttlecock. According to Wikipedia, they improvised with a Wiffle ball, lowered the badminton net and fabricated paddles of plywood from a nearby shed.
Wait. They made the paddles right there? They must've been bored. Anyway, the name pickleball was either derived from the family dog, Pickles, or from the term "pickle boat," referring to the last boat to return with its catch.
The inventor's wife, Joan Pritchard, said the name came "after I said it reminded me of the Pickle Boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats."
Anyway, I started playing a few months back when the Town of Didsbury began to have drop-in nights at the high school. I found it quite enjoyable. A good sport for those that may be a little older, out of shape, or whatever. It's a smaller court, similar to badminton, so there's not a ton of running, which is helpful.
That said, you can still get a great workout. When top players play, and there are some very good players in the Mountain View County area, the game moves very fast. You need to think quickly and move quickly. Having strong hand-eye coordination is a big help. There is strategy involved, especially at the higher levels. Whether to rush the net or stay back; whether to smash the ball or go for the lob. Experienced players are able to place the ball into corners, making it tough on the opposing team.
After school ended, pickleball moved to the arena and was sadly cut short due to the asbestos found in the arena (which has since been taken care of). Here's hoping pickleball will start up again once school returns in the fall.
There is also pickleball in Carstairs a couple of times a week. Many of the players from there played in Didsbury and vice versa. I'm sure other Mountain View communities have pickleball as well. Check with your town office/recreation department or Facebook.
– Lindsay is the reporter for the Mountain View Gazette
