Pickleball is growing in popularity across the country. In some places it is difficult to book a court.
This is not a problem in Jacksonville – not yet. But Fitness World hopes to help grow the sport with an educational clinic on Monday, April 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The clinic is free and open to the public.
“We have had a lot of interest in the game not only from the community, but specifically from members of Fitness World,” said Rain Tork, Director of Sports at Fitness World.
Anyone interested in the game of baseball can learn how to play the game at Clinic Mondays. It will also serve as a refresher course for people who already know how to play. There will be two playgrounds, along with paddles and balls.
Türk said 8-10 people currently play at Fitness World two days a week from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. Turki said the players at Fitness World range in age from 30 to 60. He said.
Bob Freesen YMCA in Jacksonville offers pick-up games Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-11 a.m. Six week clinics there June 14-16.
Pickleball consists of different parts of other racket sports. It has rackets like table tennis, a net like tennis, and a court the size of a badminton court. The ball is very similar to a Wiffle ball.
The game was created by three men who were trying to collect a badminton game but could not find the badminton. However, they had a Wiffle Ball. To get this job done, they lowered the net and made plywood oars, and a sport was born.
Pickleball got its name from Joan Pritchard, whose husband was a co-creator. She said the patchwork nature of the game components reminded her of competitive rowing “pickle boats,” which consist of a group of rowers from different teams.
The point is that the game has nothing to do with pickles.
Pickleball gets you moving, but because the court is smaller, you don’t take the hits you do in tennis. “You’re going to be really active, but it’s something everyone can pick up and play in after a day,” said Tork. “The rules are very simple. If you know tennis, if you know table tennis, it’s kind of the same. But you can do really good exercise by playing it really fast.”
It’s not necessarily a slow-paced sport. Your Uncle Fred plays ping-pong, and so does Forest Gump. “We have a group of about eight guys who are as competitive as we can be,” said Türk. “They are in their mid to late thirties. They have gone out and tore up the field. They are having a great time getting a great workout.”
“We have a couple of other ladies who attended, who are more casual with their toys, but use this day as an alternative. Instead of working out in the gym doing cardio and weights, they like having a fun day where they come in and play pickle ball a few days a week.”
Turk said senior members of Fitness World have started following the game. Some snowbirds returning from Florida reported playing a lot of pickle ball there. This led to Fitness World’s initial interest in this sport.
Since it’s on a smaller court, the players are closer to each other, so there are more opportunities for socializing than on a tennis court. It is a good game for both adults and children. “We know it’s a great exercise, and a really fun social game that people can participate in,” said Turk.
Fitness World has two indoor pickle ball courts and they can add a third if there is enough interest. Starting in May, Fitness World will schedule evening matches for two days per week.
“A lot of people don’t know how to play the game, so I thought I might teach them well, and hopefully we can grow our community into a pickled community,” Turk said.
Those planning to attend the free clinic for Monday are asked to register online at https://fitnessworldhc.com to help organizers plan the amount of equipment they will need.
“I am excited to bring her to Jacksonville, which is another sport that I think can really grow in this community,” Turk said.
