Pickleball In Augusta – A Sport Gaining Popularity
If you’re alive and human, chances are you’ve heard about this new sport called “Pickleball.” The only issue is- it’s not new. Pickleball was invented in 1965 in Bainbridge Island, Washington. And now, there are plenty of places to play pickleball in Augusta.
Congress Isn’t Useless After All, They Gave Us Pickleball, Kinda
Congressmen Joel Pritchard and friend William Bell returned home after a day of golfing to find that their kids were bored. The congressman then challenged the children to create a game of their own. The families put their minds together and, using pieces from a badminton and ping pong set, a badminton court and creating some rules, came up with the game of Pickleball. Ten years later, “The National Observer published an article about “America’s newest racquet sport.”
Today, Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S., there’s a Pickleball channel, annual championships and courts being constructed nationwide, including an indoor facility here in Augusta, due to open soon.
I Decided To Give Pickleball A Try Myself
I’ll be honest, I had my doubts when I first heard about it: “Isn’t that just tennis?” “I’d rather play racquetball.” “I’m too old to be learning how to suck at a new game!” are all thoughts that ran through my head as I tried to deny my own curiosity in the sport.
Recently, the person that can usually get me to do anything, my daughter, asked if I’d like to join her and her boyfriend for Pickleball. Curiosity had gotten the best of me at this point, so I agreed to meet them at Columbia County’s Blanchard Park.
Despite the rules being a bit much to take in, the game itself is really fun! It’s played on what is essentially an abbreviated tennis court. It also follows the basic idea of tennis: volley back and forth over the net, keep it between the lines, don’t let it bounce twice, etc.
But, there are a lot of details in the way you hit the ball, how you serve, when to hit the ball, when to let it bounce, who serves, when you change servers, etc. It honestly was a bit much for by beginner’s brain. So, we just concentrated on the basics.
There Are Plenty Of Places To Try Pickleball In Augusta
I look forward to getting more comfortable with the rules and being able to complete a game…and maybe even win, who knows? If you’re looking for a new activity, Pickleball may be for you. It’s really fun, easy to catch on and you can work up a little sweat. And, thanks to it’s fast-growing popularity, there are many Pickleball options around Augusta:
- DiNK’D Pickleball (Indoor)
- All branches of The Family Y
- Kroc Center
- Forest Hills Racquet Club
- Montclair Park
- Bernie Ward Community Center
- Warren Road Community Center
- Blanchard Park
- West Lake Country Club
- WT Johnson Community Center
- Lakeside Park
- Windmill Plantation
- Hammond Hills Suburban Club
- Patriots Park
- Diamond Lakes Community Center
- Woodside Plantation
- Gregg Park
- Houndslake Country Club
- Odell Weeks Activity Center
- Eustis Park
- Smith-Hazel Park
- Sweetwater Activity Center
