Pickleball—Learn about the latest craze to hit our area
Information provided by Jo Mayer
If you happened to be at Veterans Memorial Park in Stockbridge on June 19, you may have noticed 12 women engaged in the sport of pickleball on the newly painted courts at the park. (With the addition of a portable net and the new lines, the tennis courts at the park can also be used for pickleball.)
You can think of pickleball as a mix of badminton, tennis and ping pong with a quirky scoring system and a forbidden zone called the “kitchen.” If you’d like to learn more and maybe try your hand at it, the village Parks and Recreation Committee is offering four opportunities for beginners and others to meet interested players and learn the ins and outs of pickleball. Coach Van McWilliams will lead the free classes on the following dates and times at the park:
- Tuesday, July 11, 10-11:30am, aimed at ages 10 and up
- Tuesday, July 11, 6:30-8pm, for adults
- Thursday, July 13, 6:30-8pm, for adults
- Saturday, July 15, 10-11:30am, aimed at families
To register for one or more of the classes, you have a couple options:
- Use the sign-up sheet at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084ca5a82ea0fec07-pickleball#/
- Send an email to hlega@stockbridgedda.org
- Or, just show up.
Extra equipment will be available to use if you don’t have any. The Stockbridge Library also has sets of paddles and balls and a portable net that can be borrowed overnight, even by those without a library card.
Lyn St. Dennis (left) and Jill Peck work to set up the final portable net for the night. Photo by Jo Mayer
