Pickleball is a combination of tennis and ping pong and badmitton and racketball.
While these athletes are competing in the Senior Olympics, that doesn’t mean pickleball is just for older players.
Dick Manasseri said, “The nice thing about pickleball is its for all ages, so you’ll find grandparents playing pickleball with their grandchildren, its not a lot of sports where they can have a lot of fun with those age differences and that’s why its so popular.”
I know you’re wondering what this sport has to do with pickles – nothing!!
The inventor of the game had a dog that would chase the stray balls and hide them. The dog’s name was Pickles.
Pickleball is played on a floor the size of a doubles badminton court. Players use an oversized wooden ping pong racket to hit a bouncy wiffleball.
The first player or team to score 11 points wins.
This ping-pong-tennis-racketball game is quickly gaining fans here in Michigan
Health and Wellness Coordinator Lauren Polinsky said, “This whole year its been growing. We’ve had excellent support from a lot of seniors who just picked up on the game.”
Pickleball is huge in Florida and Arizona and snowbirds have brought it back home. Already there are 15 places to play just in Oakland County and more players are signing up every day.
The Olympics are sponsored by Crittenden Hospital – for obvious reasons
It’s so much fun, players don’t always realize they’re working out.
“When you’re chasing the ball, your mind is on the ball, you don’t think about your aches or your pains or your problems. It’s pure play and that’s why it appeals to people,” said Dick.
