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!! PLAY Missouri Pickleball !!
Reprinted Article Below from The Journal, Raymore, MO, August 13, 2010
" Pickleball Mania
Popular game creates buzz in Belton" By Brad Seiner, The Belton Star Herald, July 24, 2009 Photo Below - The Tuesday pickleball group has grown at the High Blue Wellness Center since it began in June. In this game, Susan Sawyer and Barbara Satterfield take on Mary Scudder and Sue Thornton Tuesday at High Blue. Pickleball Mania Popular game creates
buzz in Belton Pickleball Mania Popular game creates buzz in Belton A new craze has hit Belton – pickleball. The name may sound like a new twist on the dill or sweet
topping for your favorite hamburger, but it’s not. Not even close. Pickleball, a game which was started by a senator
from Washington state in 1965, has been a big hit in certain areas across the country, but it’s now really taking
off around the Kansas City metro area, including right here in Belton – thanks to several die-hard pickleballers from
surrounding communities. Belton’s High Blue Wellness Center began offering pickleball
in June, offering free lessons. Now the group, which is nearly 15 strong, plays from 1 to 3 p.m. every Tuesday at the Wellness
Center. The cost is $8 per month. “It seems to really be taking off,” said Jess Myers, Belton Parks recreation
specialist. The department is always looking for more ways to get the community involved and keep everyone active. One of
the glaring needs, according to Myers, was something to offer seniors in the community. That’s where pickleball came
in. “Basically, I had been looking at trying to find additional activities for the senior
population,” Myers said. “We’re kind of lacking in that area. We don’t have a lot of activities for
that group, so this was one of the activities that I had heard about, so I just decided to give it a shot and see what kind
of response we would have.” “I had heard it was really popular in other places. I’m happy to have an activity
that is geared toward the senior population that is doing well that we can continue to offer.” But pickleball
isn’t just for seniors. Anyone of any age, any athletic ability or any interest can play this game. “It’s
also something you can play with your grandkids,” said Sherri Davis, one of the big supporters of pickleball in this
area. “I’ve been teaching my 5- and 6-year-old granddaughters to play.” Barbara Satterfield, one of
the weekly pickleball players at the Wellness Center, described the rules and regulations, including scoring, which, as she
said, can be confusing to new players. A team, which consists of two players, can only score when it’s that team’s
serve, just like volleyball. The game is played to 11 and a team must win by two. There are certain paddles that must be used and the ball is a whiffle ball with small holes. There is a line in the front of the court on both sides which is close to the net. That area is known as the kitchen, according to Satterfield. A player can’t cross that line unless the ball bounces first, keeping players from standing at the net and knocking the
ball back across. “It keeps you from having to eat quite as many balls,” Davis said. The
group at the Wellness Center continue to grow thanks in large part to a core group that wants to get the word out about the
game. Having that backing has made this a good experience for the parks department, Myers said. “It helps the program out a lot,” Myers said. “Our best marketing strategy is word of mouth. Whenever people are excited about the program, they are much more effective at getting more people to join than for me to just advertise for it. “It works great in helping the program grow.” Some of the members of the local group will be competing in the Missouri Show-Me State Games July 30 through Aug. 2 in Columbia. For more information about pickleball, contact Davis at 816-965-7467 or davis@kcpickleball.com. For more information on playing at the High Blue Wellness Center, contact Myers at 816-348-7400.
Brad Seiner © Copyright 2009, The
Belton Star Herald, A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company  Jessica Vargas, of Columbia and Janice Phelps of Harrisburg“You’ll like these people,” Skip Deming told the group as they discussed the upcoming Missouri Show-Me State Games. “They are just great, and some are really great players.” **************************************************************************************************************************** News Releases Thursday, November 19, 2009 News from the City of Lawrence (Sent: 2009-11-19 08:08:34) NEWS RELEASES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ========================================= Prepared by: Deepa Sampat, (785) 832-3458 Players swap pick-up games for pickleball matches (Lawrence, Ks) - When Roger McCune walked into the gymnasium at the East Lawrence Recreation Center for his weekly basketball game, he never thought he’d swap his basketball for a pickleball racquet – especially because pickleball was a sport he had never heard of before. “I came early one time and they were making noise,” McCune says. “They invited us to play, and I got hooked from there.” Pickleball, a mixture of tennis and badminton, is often viewed as a sport for older adults. However, the pickleball group in Lawrence has attracted players of all ages, from those in their 20s to those 60 years old and older. Evan Jorn, Lawrence ambassador for the USA Pickleball Association, says about six players who usually play basketball have joined in on the pickleball matches, including McCune, who is in his 40s. “They are a little younger than we are and more energetic,” Jorn says. “They start challenging us more and we get better.” Alex Ott visited the East Lawrence Recreation Center to work out in the weight room. After seeing a pickleball match, the 24-year-old, who played tennis in high school, thought playing pickleball would be a natural transition. Ott enjoys the fast-paced, competitive nature of the sport, and likes playing the game with other people, no matter their age. “It’s more entertaining than working out by yourself,” Ott says. “It’s competitive for older people to play, too. I can probably hit the ball harder than the older players but they have a lot more skill.” Pickleball was created in 1965 in Bainbridge Island, which is near Seattle. Co-inventors U.S. Congressman Joel Pritchard, William Bell and Barney McCallum said they invented the sport to provide a fun activity that the entire family could enjoy. Jorn’s 22-year-old nephew and his friends participate in the pickleball matches every Sunday, and other players often bring their grandchildren to the games. “It just proves that the games still work as they were designed,” Jorn says. “We have even had teenagers in here from time to time.” Jorn credits the popularity of the game to its social aspect. Because the size of pickleball courts are much smaller than those of tennis courts, players generally stand only 14 feet apart and are able to talk and joke with each other during the game. “It’s a blast,” Jorn says. “People are laughing from the beginning to the end of the game.” Jorn says another attractive element to the game is that it’s relatively easy to learn. “Unlike tennis, you can be playing well right away,” he says. “It’s easy to keep up an exercise program if what you’re doing is having fun.” McCune, who, like Ott, used to be a tennis player, prefers pickleball because the smaller courts mean players don’t have to waste time chasing the ball down and are instead able to keep moving. The pickleball group plays games three times a week, and McCune is usually present on all three days. In fact, he’s even chosen pickleball over basketball a few times. “I’ve missed a few games of basketball because I’ve played this first and got my exercise in,” he says. To find out more about pickleball options with Lawrence Parks and Recreation, visit |
Don't forget to check out our supplies for sale so you can play when and where
you want!!
Call 816-200-4100 or email davis@kcpickleball.com
Call 816-200-4100 or email davis@kcpickleball.com