PHILIPSBURG — Pickleball is “the fastest growing sport in the United States,” said Donna Reese of Tyrone, who has been playing the popular game for some six years.
Pickleball is spreading rapidly across the nation. According to Reese, the game, which was invented in the 1960s and is named for a dog – not an actual pickle – is being taught in schools and is on the verge of becoming an Olympic sport.
For Reese and her husband, pickleball is a way of life.
“There’s something addictive about the game, and I think it’s because it becomes this whole social network,” Reese said.
“My husband and I travel some, and everywhere we go, we play pickleball. You meet people who are active and just want to have fun with the sport.”
Reese and her husband were introduced to pickleball by a friend and have been playing evening pickleball at the Philipsburg YMCA.
“We just met a fantastic group of people up at the Y,” said Reese. “They’re just such a fun group of people.”
Reese is a USA Pickleball Ambassador and hopes to bring more awareness to the sport to the Moshannon Valley area by hosting the “Summer Sizzling Pickleball Classic” in Houtzdale on June 26.
“We found out the Houtzdale Woodward Recreation Authority built this beautiful new park last year, and they put in pickleball courts, and they really weren’t being used,” Reese said.
“We got to talking to some people on the board, and Cathy and Ron (Lott) and Diane (Imbruglia) and I went up there and ran some beginner courses for people who were interested.”
Reese said pickleball is often described as if “tennis and ping pong had a baby.” A pickleball court is smaller than a tennis court, and the game is more about strategy than speed or power, making it the perfect sport for seniors and younger kids.
“We want to run this tournament to show the people of the area what pickleball is all about,” Reese said. “It’s an exciting day when you do a tournament. There’s a level of competition, and people from outside the area come, and we’re hoping this will highlight the sport to Houtzdale and generate some interest in the use of these courts.”
The tournament features brackets for various age groups, and single players in need of a partner can find other singles to play with when they register. There is a beginner’s bracket for this tournament, but players must have played at least 10 games of pickleball before entering the tournament, so they are familiar with the rules and how to score, etc. People who have never played pickleball are encouraged to attend, watch, learn and form some contacts.
“With this tournament, we have people from Indiana, Johnstown, State College, Lemont and the Philipsburg/Clearfield area, and I know there are going to be people who meet each other in this tournament who are then going to be saying, ‘Hey, why don’t we get together and play?’ There are going to be connections made at this tournament, and that’s just how it works,” said Reese.
Tournament registration closes on June 19. To register, email [email protected].
