Jean Cable admits she is a pickleball junkie and the only thing that can satisfy her habit is … well more pickleball.
“It’s an addiction,” Cable said recently as members of the newly-formed Longmont Pickleball Club streamed onto the outdoor courts at Clark Centennial Park to play one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
At least that’s the assessment of Cable and other local pickleball players who are lobbying the city of Longmont for more courts to showcase the sport. She estimates the Longmont Pickleball Club is 200-members strong and growing.
There are also about 1,800 pickleball players in Longmont. Many of whom are reveling in a sport that is a little-less demanding on older knees, backs and shoulders but still fires a competitive spirit in older athletes.
“It’s really not surprising how the sport is growing,” said Brett Sloan, who like many pickleballers discovered the sport at retirement and is chair of the Longmont Pickleball Club board of directors. “As the population ages, the demand is going up. Seniors are not as nimble as they used to be and are looking for a sport that is a little less demanding than say tennis.”
“But don’t let that fool you,” Sloan said. “You can come away with plenty of bruises, especially if you play too close to the net.”
Pickleball has picked up celebrity supporters including the Kardashian family and as well as national media attention. Pickleball can be found in all 50 states with over 40,000 courts scattered about nationwide, according to USA Pickleball.
Professional pickleball has been featured on ESPN and more than 1,400 players from 32 states and 10 countries recently competed in the 2022 Consumer Cellular USA Pickleball Newport Beach Championships. The winners moved onto the USA Pickleball National Championships, to be played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden this November, according to a USA Pickleball news release.
Local players said one of the biggest attractions of pickleball is that the court is smaller than a tennis court, which cuts down on the running. The court is the same size as a doubles badminton court and measures 20-by-44 feet. The same court can also be used for singles and doubles play.
The court is striped similarly to a tennis court with a right and left service courts and a seven-foot non-volley zone in front of the net which is referred to as the “kitchen,” according to USA Pickleball. Courts can be constructed specifically for pickleball or they can be converted using existing tennis or badminton courts.
Pickleball paddles are smaller than a tennis racquet but larger than a ping-pong paddle. The ball is a large wiffle ball with holes that doesn’t have the bounce of a traditional tennis or racquetball and requires concentration to hit back across the net.
Like tennis, pickleball players volley against an opponent and pick up points when they hit the ball at the right spot on the court. The play emphasizes good hand-eye-coordination and nimble feet.
Recently, Cable and Judy Sloan schooled a newcomer on the game. The novice, whose physical skills have rapidly declined, still tried to rely on his racquetball playing past to compensate for his lack of experience.
Both Cable and Sloan slowed their game down to accommodate the rookie’s neophyte’s status. But their ground strokes still blew past him, leaving him muttering under his breath and grateful only his partner — the adept Sloan — was present to pity him.
Their real concern is that there is still a lack of courts to play pickleball. They hope for as many as 16 permanent courts to accommodate the sport’s local growth.
They credit the city for opening up tennis and in-line skate parks so they can play. “The city has been helpful,” Watt said. “But we think the city is missing out on an opportunity to take advantage of the growth of the sport.”
“There are tournaments we could host, which could bring in revenue,” she said. “It’s growing and there is no sign it is letting up.”
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