Larry Linderman
When the game of pickleball started to attract attention in SaddleBrooke seven years ago, lots of people said they liked the game, but couldn’t someone do something about the funny name? The name stayed the same, however, and the new activity became the fastest growing sport in the country while the membership of the SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association grew to over 500. Now no one seems to mind the name.
As SPA President Shawne Cryderman has said so often, there are so many ways to enjoy pickleball. If you’re a beginner you can go through the Demonstration Clinics the club offers and participate in Assisted Play. After that introduction to the game you can get rated and play in the many organized levels of play offered three times a week or, for a more relaxed pace, the club offers drop-in play seven days a week where players of all levels mix it up.
Another way to participate in the game is by making up your own group. In fact, more court hours are dedicated to so called private group play than anything else.
On a Sunday in April, 48 women SPA members organized a Pickle Mixer. Each person was assigned to a court named Gherkin, Dill, Sweet or Kosher. For 20 minutes 24 ladies played while the other 24 socialized and snacked on cookies and fruit provided by the organizers. Then the socializers took to the courts while the first group got a chance to catch up with friends. Thus was spent a pleasant two hours on a Sunday afternoon.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares!