Caught in a pickle Pickleball catching on in Washington County
Pickleball paddles and balls at Cameron Wellness Center
John West of Washington and Vernie Dzura of Meadowlands play in a pickleball league at Cameron Wellness Center.
Doug McKenery of Canonsburg returns a serve during a game of pickleball at Canonsburg Town Park.
Ray Mazzoni of Canonsburg and Monica Saporito of McMurray play in a game of pickleball at Canonsburg Town Park on June 1.
From left, John West and Judy Johnson, both of Washington, Kathy Progar of North Strabane Township and Vernie Dzura of Meadowlands touch their racket handles after each game of pickleball at Cameron Wellness Center.
Doug McKenery of Canonsburg returns a serve during a doubles match of pickleball at Canonsburg Town Park on June 1.
Pickleball, a sweet game with a sour name, might be the most popular American sport you’ve never heard of.
Local pickleball enthusiasts, however, are working to change that.
In Canonsburg, retired physical education teacher Doug McKenery and a team of pickleball players set up four pickleball courts at Town Park in April, and as many as a dozen players have been turning up nightly to play.
McKenery, 66, started playing pickleball in January and has been hooked ever since.
A friend of McKenery’s told him about pickleball two years ago, but McKenery, a former tennis player, wasn’t interested in the game back then.
“Finally, one day I said, ‘That’s it, I’m going to try it,’ and it just took one day for me to embrace it,” said McKenery. “I’ve enjoyed it. It’s good recreation, and it’s social, so you meet a lot of people.”
Pickleball is part tennis, part badminton and part ping-pong. The game is played with an oversized paddle and a hollow plastic ball that resembles a Wiffle ball.
Over the years, pickleball has become a staple in high school gym classes, including at Canon-McMillan High School, where middle school gym teacher Tony Dominick introduced the game seven years ago.
“The kids really enjoy it because all different levels can play it and everybody can have fun with it,” said Dominick. “It’s a nice introductory activity to any racquet sport. Kids end up getting into tennis and racquetball after they play pickleball. Kids have gone out and bought their own pickleball nets, too.”
More recently, the game has become a phenomenon with senior citizens, and pickleball courts are springing up in a variety of places; there are courts at Southpointe Courthouse and the Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center.
At the Wellness Center, about 20 players gather twice a week on the basketball courts, which have been modified to accommodate both basketball and pickleball.
The center organized the pickleball program about 14 months ago, and it is offered at no cost to members. Nonmembers pay a drop-in rate of $5 per visit, or $37 for 10 visits.
Mary Katherine Macek, 75, of Houston, discovered pickleball three years ago, and she’s been having fun on the court ever since.
“I just enjoy everything about the game,” said Macek, who plays at least three times a week and competes in tournaments throughout the region – and works part time at McDonald’s in Peters Township. “It’s terrific exercise, whether you’re an athlete or not. Anybody can pick this game up. It’s been a terrific experience for me, and truly, one of the best parts of the game is meeting a lot of great people.”
In 2013, she played in the USA Pickleball Association Nationals Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio.
Macek also played in the GAMMA Pickleball Classic held June 3-5 at the Pittsburgh Convention Center, where she and her partner, Teresa Vizza, picked up a bronze medal in women’s doubles. She captured a silver medal with mixed doubles partner John Taylor.
The GAMMA tournament was organized by pickleball players Lou and Sally Sherfinski of Canonsburg, who were introduced to pickleball five years ago while vising friends in California.
“They were fanatical about pickleball, and they dragged us out to the pickleball courts,” said Sherfinski, who, along with his wife, plays three or four times a week. “We tried it and we liked it. The reason it’s popular with seniors is because the court is small and it’s almost always played as a doubles game. The paddles are light and the balls are light, and it’s easy on the joints, so you’re not prone to developing tennis elbow. What my wife and I like about it is it’s very social. You’re close to your opponents, so you’re playing the game but you’re also socializing and having fun and kidding around and just enjoying the company of your opponents.”
Pickleball originated in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-1960s. According to the USAPA website, Joel Pritchard, a congressman from Washington state, went golfing with a friend on a Saturday afternoon, and when they returned to Pritchard’s house, their families said they were bored and were looking for something to do.
They all decided to play badminton, but couldn’t find enough equipment, so they improvised, using a perforated plastic ball and ping-pong paddles, and lowered the badminton net onto an asphalt surface. The following week, a neighbor joined the game, and the three men made modifications and established rules for the game.
And the game’s unusual name? The Pickleball Association says pickleball was named after the Pritchards’ family dog, Pickles. According to another version, Pritchard’s wife, Joan, named the game, a co-mingling of three sports, after the “pickle boat” in rowing, which uses a crew made up of leftover rowers from different boats.
It’s a fast-growing sport: the number of places to play pickleball has more than doubled since 2010, and more than 13,000 pickleball courts have been established across the country. There are an estimated 100,000 players nationwide. As the game’s popularity continues to increase, more courts like the ones completed in Canonsburg are expected to spring up.
McKenery said he’d like to expand the number of courts available at Town Park, and plans for a community pickleball tournament are in the works.
“Pickleball is a good outlet for people of all ages,” he said. “No matter your age, you can adapt to the players you’re playing with and have fun.”