NO folks, it’s neither the name of a country music band nor a horror movie involving killer pickles. It’s the name of the fastest growing sport in the country and in the US.
The game can be played both indoors and outdoors which is one of the reasons why it enjoyed exponential growth in terms of players and courts during the pandemic.
The sport combines the facets of tennis, badminton and table tennis. The paddles and the ball is light. The ball has 26 to 40 holes which makes it somewhat aerodynamic.
Pickleball started out as a child’s backyard game which is now also an adult’s too because it can be played practically anywhere.
Here in the Philippines, according to Mark Casal, marketing and promotions committee chair of the Professional Pickleball Association of the Philippines (PPAP), the game is growing as evidenced by the 19 pickleball courts located in different municipalities in Pangasinan.
Pickleball communities are sprouting everywhere. The PPAP has 633 members and counting. According to Mark, the pandemic has not stunted the sport’s growth.
The PPAP continues to conduct pickleball webinars both for coaches and players and they’ve already established a foothold in 23 schools, colleges and universities. The game doesn’t discriminate as it can be played by anyone as young as six years old to as old as 90, man or woman.
According to usapickleball.org, pickleball is “Fun, social and friendly. The rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players.”
The same group said the pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, Washington. Three dads—Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum—whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities—are credited for creating the game.
Pickleball has evolved from original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport throughout the US and Canada. The game is growing internationally as well, with many European and Asian countries adding courts.
A pickleball court is the same size as a doubles badminton court and measures 20 by 44 feet. In pickleball, the same court is used for both singles and doubles play. The net height is 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle.
The court is striped similar to a tennis court with right and left service courts and a 7-foot non-volley zone in front of the net (referred to as the “kitchen”). Courts can be constructed specifically for pickleball or they can be converted using existing tennis or badminton courts.”
Coach Jenny Marcos, PPAP founder and board member, plays the game herself and at 55, is ranked No. 8 in the world in her age group which is seniors. Coach Marcos says us Filipinos can excel in the sport because it doesn’t require height, heft and length.
The game though, requires speed and quickness which Filipinos are known for. Coach Jenny says there are retired tennis and badminton players who use pickleball to both stay fit and to compete.
Both Marcos and Casal agree that the game helps children develop hand-eye coordination, speed, quickness and lateral movement.
When the pandemic ends, I may give the game a pickle, I mean a try. I’m serious.