Susan Kelly, Nederland. While the rest of the town may be out working, skiing, snowshoeing, or vacationing, pickleball is going strong at the Community Center in Nederland. No, a pickleball is not a delectable pickle-tasting appetizer you would serve at a potluck. It’s one of the fastest growing sports in the United States! If you want to stay out of the mountain cold and wind to get a cardio workout, you may want to give pickleball a try. 

Pickleball is a paddle sport played with a pickle-looking, whiffle-like ball on a badminton-sized court with a tennis-style net and solid surface paddle. Anyone who has played a racquet sport before will quickly get the hang of it. It’s a great sport for overall fitness, providing a fun cardio workout while improving dexterity, mobility, agility, and balance at the same time. Plus, Nederland pickleball regulars report success in weight loss—an hour of pickleball can burn up to 600 calories.  

At 10:00 on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings at the Nederland Community Center, you will see a motley crew of pickleballers. On Friday mornings at 8:30, a lively group of women flock to the court. On Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6:00, the I-just-got-off-of-work gang of pickleballers play fast and hard. There is a game waiting for everyone. 

Pickleball is a sport for every one of almost any age, but active seniors, in particular, flock to the courts. Why? It’s a fast-paced sport with relatively low-impact and easy on the joints. The court is not that big, so players run a lot less than they might in tennis. It gives you a good aerobic workout without as much stress and strain on joints and muscles. Most importantly, it is easy to learn, fun to play, and winning isn’t the top priority. Friendship, fun, and a good workout is what the game is really all about. 

To be honest, the game is somewhat addictive. Anyone can get started, borrow a paddle from the Community Center, and start playing the same day. The more you play, the better you will get. You will develop technique and eventually be able to plan a power slam or a gentle dink. Truly, the most fun is outsmarting your opponent and placing a strategic shot which is impossible to return.

Created in the 1965, pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. Bill Bell and Joel Pritchard, both U.S. Congressmen at the time, developed the game in Bainbridge Island, WA, simply to alleviate the boredom that seemed to plague their kids in the summer. They found a whiffle ball, a badminton racket, and a badminton net. However, the net was too high, and the badminton racket faltered. So, they improvised with some ping pong paddles, lowered the net, and made up some basic rules. The family dog, Pickles, was watching on the sidelines. If the ball went out of play, Pickles grabbed it and ran off. The kids shouted at Pickles to give back their ball.  “Pickles, the ball!” or “Pickles, ball.” After a while, it all turned into a friendly game of “pickleball.”  

Today pickleball is played all over the world in community groups, PE classes, YMCA’s, retirement communities, and the Nederland Community Center. It has been reported that more than 2,000,000 people play pickleball in the US alone, and the game is growing exponentially. Maybe it’s time to hop on the pickleball bandwagon! The Mountain Tennis and Pickleball Association is a Nederland-area non-profit which manages both tennis and pickleball and the Nederland Ice and Tennis Park in the summer and the Nederland Community Center in the colder months. The cost is $5 daily, $10 monthly, or $100 annually. These nominal fees support leasing the community center, equipment maintenance, and non-profit insurance. 

Pickleball is downright fun! Usually the game is played as doubles, so you always have a partner to encourage, congratulate, and conspire with. Maybe it’s a little addictive, but it is great exercise, suited for players of all levels, affordable, a great way to meet new friends, and will satisfy your competitive needs. As some pickleballers may say, “It’s kind of a big dill.”

(Originally published in the March 19, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)