Washington Park Pickleball Club to host tournament
From its invention in 1965, pickleball has grown into a popular American sport for participiants of a wide range of ages, combining the elements of badminton, table tennis and tennis.
Associated Press
A hybrid of tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball is played on a court a quarter the size of a tennis court, with hard rackets and a variety of whiffle ball.
Pickleball became the official state sport in Washington a little over a year ago, and if the growth continues, the paddle ball game could have the same distinction in the city of Washington.
Pickleball was first played in 1965 as a children’s backyard game on Bainbridge Island, Wash., but has evolved and its highest governing body, the International Federation of Pickleball, was created in 2010.
Pickleball combines the elements of badminton, table tennis and tennis. Singles or doubles games can be contested, and a paddle and a plastic ball with holes is used.
Serving must be underhanded and points can be only scored when serving. The ball must bounce once before a player can return to the opponent. Games are to 11 and an individual or team must win by two points. The serving team or player switches sides from right to left when a point is scored.
Players are not allowed to volley the ball within seven feet of the net, which is described in the rules as the “no volley zone,” or “the kitchen.”
Stan Myers, chairman of the Washington Park Pickleball Club, said the club will be hosting a tournament May 20 and 21 at Washington Park.
Men’s and women’s doubles will be played on the 20th and mixed doubles on the 21st. Play is scheduled to begin both days at 8:30 a.m., and brackets will be based on the skill level and age of the participants.
Myers said the format of each bracket will be determined by how many teams are in a bracket.
“We could have a bracket with a few teams and just do a round-robin format, or we could have double elimination,” Myers said. “We will break it up, but medals will be awarded to the winners in each bracket. Each team will get to play at least two matches. We have teams registered that are traveling a great distance, so we want to make sure they get some playing time in.”
In club play, the player that hits the ball will make the call, but for the tournament, paid officials will be available for the medal games.
“We score ourselves in club play, but we’ve never had a controversy in club ball,” Myers said. “Everyone that is entered in the tournament has some experience, so we should be fine with the rules and everything. We are just hoping for good weather, and we plan to be done both days around 3 in the afternoon. We have a computer system that determines how long the games should last, and that is what it estimated.”
The tournament debuted last year with 75 participants. The limit for this year’s tournament was cut off at 185 participants.
“The rise of the interest in the sport of pickleball as a whole has been phenomenal the last two-to-three years,” Myers said. “It is very popular in Florida and Arizona, and especially Florida because of all the retirees that live there and can play.”
The growth of pickleball is not just regulated to warmer climates, as Myers found out two years ago.
“I went on vacation, and we had about 15 to 17 club members, and when I returned, we had about 40 people,” Myers said. “Tom Hincy, who is a pickleball ambassador, lobbied for the club about five years ago. It was tough getting enough going the first few years, and I attribute some of that to COVID, but it has really taken off.”
The club continues to grow, and this week’s total has roughly 110 members.
A brief recognition ceremony at noon on the 20th will be held to acknowledge the dignitaries who were involved in making the tournament possible.
“We couldn’t have done this without the support of our local leaders,” Myers said. “I also want to acknowledge the members of our club. We have the best membership in the world. They will help out before, during and after the tournament. There can be times in club where a few individuals do all the work while the others sit around, but we don’t have that in our club. Everyone helps.”
City of Washington Park Director DeAnna Martin opened up the snack bar and restrooms for the tournament last year, and Myers said she has been a “big help.”
Myers’ involvement in the sport began when he needed to find another sport to play after courts to play racquetball in the area became obsolete.
“I taught at W&J and was playing racquetball at the Cameron Wellness Center, and when the racquetball courts disappeared, I needed to find another sport and chose pickleball,” Myers said. “We have people of all skill levels, but there can be some very competitive games. We do our best to teach the new players and help out.”
Myers said anyone interested in joining the Washington Park Pickleball Club (weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon), the charge is $30 for the summer (May 1-Sept. 30) and everyone is welcome to join.
“We have that charge for some minimal fees that are due, but we will work with anyone and help them learn the game,” Myers said.