Don’t dilly-dally
Add pickleball to your ingredients for summer fun
By Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
Searching for sports equipment has left some people in a pickle ever since the pandemic opened the floodgates of outdoor activity participation. Things like mountain bikes and roller skates have been selling out so completely that waiting lists are now more than a year for some companies.
But there will be no waiting lists required for the necessary gear when the Lincoln City Pickleball Club holds its season kick-off event on Saturday, June 5, featuring a guided group warm-up, beginners clinic and round-robin play. Snacks will be provided, membership sign-ups and merchandise will be available and prize drawings will be announced through the morning.
A sport with simple needs but big benefits, pickleball has been growing since the 1960s, when the fathers from a few families on a camping trip pretty much made it up on the spot to combat boredom.
“Pickleball play has been going on all along,” said club member Jane Mulholland, “but with the pandemic, the winter weather and the community center having limited hours it’s been tough to get together. So we’re doing this kickoff event not just as a party for us, but to get some new people as excited about the sport as we are.”
There will be extra equipment for people to use and a chance for people to learn more about, and hopefully join, the club.
“One of the things we pride ourselves on is our welcoming nature, which is not how all clubs are,” Mulholland said. “We really do try to embrace new people and get them to enjoy the sport.”
Legend (and Wikipedia) tells it that pickleball originated when the aforementioned vacationing families attempted to set up a game of badminton, but no one could find the shuttlecock. So the husbands put on their tinkerers caps and found a perforated plastic ball, lowered the badminton net and fabricated paddles using plywood from a nearby shed.
“It’s usually played on a tennis court but uses a smaller space and the size of the paddle is closer to a racquetball than a tennis racquet.” Mulholland said. “The ball is kind of like a Wiffle ball and has holes so it moves fast. It’s a game of reaction, strategy and skill.”
Another appeal of the game is its ease of equipment transport.
“iI’s so easy to pack a paddle so it’s pretty common to for us to get joined by visitors,” Mulholland said. “I know there are plenty of people who travel with their racquets and look for a game when they get somewhere. I like how we get to meet new people this way.”
Originally primarily popular with retirees, the game has been increasingly appealing to a younger demographic.
“It’s actually offered in high schools now,” Mulholland said. “Players are getting younger and younger as more people see how fun and easy it is.”
Mulholland was introduced to the game when she moved to the area and joined the Lincoln City Pickleball Club. She said the club has been going strong, even through the pandemic.
“I’ve been playing for about three years,” she said. “The club has been around longer than that and the number of local players continues to grow. We’re really hoping to be able to host a tournament this summer."
Based on club membership and the buzz around the event, Mulholland said they are expecting more than 50 people to attend.
“The weather forecast looks good so far,” she said. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed, though.”
The party will start at 9 am at the tennis courts at Dorchester Park on the corner of NW 28th and Neptune streets. For more information, go to the Lincoln City Pickleball page on Facebook.