Pickleball: serving up a good time

I was never any good at racquet sports as a youth.

So I had a few trepidations about trying pickleball for the first time with an audience.

Pickleball was invented in the 1960s but has only recently exploded in popularity. It’s often referred to as the fastest growing sport in North America.

The increase in popularity is visible in the wild growth of the St. Albert Pickleball Club.

The club officially formed as a society in the fall of 2014 with about 25 members. Now it has more than 100 – and that’s just the people in St. Albert who are club members. There’s also outdoor courts anyone can access and drop-in nights at Servus Place for those who want to play in a more ad hoc fashion.

So what is the sport? Despite the name, the ball doesn’t resemble a pickle. It’s a kind of hybrid between tennis and badminton, played with what resemble overgrown ping pong paddles.

The ball is closer to a wiffle ball than a tennis ball, and the courts are smaller than tennis courts. This is all to the good, in my opinion. A complete rookie, I even managed to participate in a few volleys on my first crack at the game when I played a round with some club members recently.

The mythic origins of pickleball vary. Some say it was two dads trying to make up a game for their kids. Others say it was grandparents who invented it, trying to find something to play competitively with their grandchildren.

Many say the silly-seeming name was bestowed by one of the inventors, who apparently had a dog named Pickles, but that’s disputed too.

What is clear is the game has gained a lot of traction as a low-impact but still aerobic sport that can be played by people of all ages, particularly popular with older people.

Mikki Melnyk, a director of the St. Albert Pickleball Club, said when she started playing the game it was hard to get four people at Servus Place willing to play a round.

“Eventually it grew,” she said. And so it has. When I first started chatting with Melnyk at the club’s Thursday morning session at Red Willow Community Church, there were two games going at all times, with four people playing each game. Many other club members would be on the sidelines, patiently waiting their turn.

Melnyk was randomly approached one day to try the game at Servus Place and was hooked. She likes playing because she finds endlessly walking on a track or treadmill to get a bit tedious.

“It keeps you active, it’s lots of fun,” she said. “The camaraderie is probably the biggest thing.”

Indeed, the club members who were there on the morning I arrived were very welcoming. They were also very patient, as my doubles partner and opponents were willing to walk me through the game, which took just a few moments to learn in a general sense. They also offered advice on my technique and gave me more than a few do-overs when it came my turn to serve.

In terms of play, those who have played tennis, badminton, or even ping pong are likely to find many of the rules familiar, with a few tweaks.

In the nine minute round I played, it was a great amount of fun. Even if I had trouble keeping the ball in the court.

Wayne Richardson, club president, said he appreciates the exercise and socializing he gets from playing pickleball.

“I lost my wife a few years back, and when I first joined the bereavement group and after the bereavement group I felt like I needed to get out and do something more than eat and drink, I wanted to get exercise,” he said.

So he showed up one night at Servus Place and tried pickleball, where Melnyk was one of the people to teach him.

“They were very welcoming,” he said. “It was a place I could go, a bit of socializing, a bit of exercise … that’s probably why I accepted to be president, is because I realize how important health is for everyone.”

The sport is picking up steam amongst other age groups too. Melnyk said some local physical education teachers are interested in teaching the sport, in part because it’s easier to learn than tennis. Right now most of the devotees in St. Albert are older people.

The sport is appealing for older players because it’s a good workout but still playable for those who might have injuries or other issues. For instance, people with hip replacements still play, Melnyk said. She herself has had one knee replacement and is going for a second one.

“None of us are stopping,” Melnyk said. “You can get as good of a workout as you choose to or are able to.”

Today’s seniors are different from those of past generations, Richardson said. They’re more interested in staying active compared to past seniors, he said.

“Your new group of seniors is not the old group,” he said.

Both spoke of seeing multi-generations of family members out on the courts, playing a round of pickleball.

Richardson recently appeared at a city council meeting, asking that the city consider putting in more outdoor courts. There are four permanent outdoor courts and two temporary ones. The four permanent courts are located at 139 Larose Dr., behind W.D. Cuts School.

“We’re looking for more and better,” he said, adding he has club players who won’t play outside on the current courts for fear of injury.

The only two injuries Richardson has received playing pickleball were while playing on an outdoor court. He’s compensated by slowing down his play when outdoors. He’d like to see a better quality of outdoor court in St. Albert.

There are tournaments all over the country. Melnyk estimates that there are at least 1,000 players in the greater Edmonton region.

There’s also a good chance travellers in North America can find a place to play in most cities, these days.

Melnyk and her husband often go on RV trips, and she won’t stay in an RV park that doesn’t have pickleball.

“It’s even on cruise ships now,” Richardson said.