One in an occasional series of first-person accounts of first-time attempts at a new sport or activity.
Sport/Activity: Pickleball
Coach: N/A
Organization: Marblehead Council on Aging
Location: Marblehead Community Center
Time: Thursdays, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Learning something new is always fun, but there?s nothing more fun than learning how to play pickleball.
Pickleball?
I know. That was my reaction, too. I had never even heard of it before getting this assignment.
For those of you who haven?t caught on to the trend yet, pickleball is a very entertaining game that combines aspects of tennis, badminton, and Ping-Pong. The tools of the trade are a plastic ball with holes in it, similar to but smaller than a Wiffle ball, and basically an oversized Ping-Pong paddle. It is played on a surface the same size as a doubles badminton court.
The rules however, can be a little hard to follow at the beginning. The game is played in singles or teams of two, and players or teams can only score if they are serving. If the opposing team gets a point, the serving team switches sides and has one more chance to serve for a point. If the opposing team gets another point, that team then gets the ball and has a chance to score.
The first to 11 points first is the winner.
I know, a bit odd at the beginning, but once you get the hang of it it?s fine.
When I arrived at the Marblehead Community Center to learn how to play, I wasn?t really sure what to expect. I had looked up some information on the game?s basics, but I had no idea how to play. When I walked inside, I met my three fellow pickleballers. Pam Dovidio, the game organizer, Randy Gauntt, and Dinny Schwalbe were happy that I was there to play, since they needed one more person to get a game going.
We walked into the gym, set up the net, and took out the box with the plastic balls and the paddles. All three women had their own personal pickleball paddles they brought with them, and I was stuck with a regular wooden Ping-Pong paddle out of the box.
They explained the rules to me, and I started off slowly at first. I wasn?t really sure where I could hit the ball and how I had to play it. But after a few tries, I started to get the hang of it.
?You did a really good job for your first time,” said Dovidio. “Even with that old wooden paddle.”
When I tried to explain the game to my friends afterward, the only way I could describe it was, “Imagine if you were playing Ping-Pong on a life-sized table, and imagine how fun that would be.”
The four of us played three games over the course of about 90 minutes or so. And I was getting into it. Every game was really competitive, which surprised me at the beginning. At first look, it seemed like it would be a slower game. But instead I found myself running all over the court chasing the ball and working up a real sweat.
By the end of it, my teams had lost all three games, but I had a great time.
?It was a lot of fun,” said Schwalbe. “I?m glad we actually got a chance to play today.”
The Bottom Line
The one thing I took away from the game is the fact that anyone can play. Young or old, physically fit or not so much, you can have a great time playing a competitive game on an even playing field.
Mike Alongi can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @m_alongi.
