The new thing in town

Courtesy photo Local Pickleball Club players (from left) Phyllis Danhour, Mark Sutherlin, Curtis Danhour and Marsha Hankins enjoy a recent game of pickleball at the new courts in Greencastle’s Robe-Ann Park.

Pickleball is considered the fastest-growing sport in the United States, and Greencastle’s Pickleball Club is an example of that growth.

Robe-Ann Park is home to six new pickleball courts to go along with three tennis courts tucked into the northeast corner of the park, across from the city pool.

The courts were officially opened July 4, 2016 with more than 30 players ready to learn the game, local pickleball enthusiast and teacher David Boswell noted.

While the rest of the year was not as active, pickleball has taken off this year, Boswell said.

A pickleball club was formed on April 15 and a scheduled play format arranged. Currently there have been more than 60 people who have played with the club and the group is growing weekly, Boswell said.

The club has more than 20 regular, active players on a six-day-a-week schedule. Some evenings five courts are in use with four people to a court.

While the schedule may change monthly, it has been Monday, Thursday and Sunday evenings from 6:30 until the players are too tired to continue, and Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 8-11 a.m.

All are welcome to learn the game. Boswell is the local teacher, but any member is willing to teach. All necessary equipment is furnished for beginner players. Just show up wearing tennis shoes on a scheduled time and let the fun begin, Boswell said.

What is a pickleball? One theory is the game started about 50 years ago in Seattle when a man and his son were horsing around with the idea of a game played on a court the size of a badminton court with the game a cross between tennis and ping pong.

The ball they were using belonged to their dog, “Pickles,” thus the name. Actually the ball is a whiffleball made just for the game in which the ball is hit by a paddle of composite wood or various materials.

“I’m glad they didn’t use a pickle,” Boswell joked. “That would be messy and they don’t bounce too well.”

For more information about the sport or the local club, persons may contact Boswell at dboswell73@hotmail.com or 653-6755.