Pickleball has taken the U.S. by storm in recent years and has grown in Bluffton’s community rapidly along with it.
The sport was created in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, a congressman from the state of Washington, according to usapickleball.org, but has gained traction around 2013-2015. The number of players since 2015 in the U.S. has gone from 10,000 to 8.9 million, and in the last year has gained 4.8 million players.
The game is a combination of tennis, ping pong, and badminton and is meant to be played for everyone of all ages, regardless of athletic ability. An easy sport to play at any pace. Players play with a ping pong-shaped paddle and volley a small ball from one side of the net to the other, with players typically closer to the net than in tennis.
“Pickleball is a sport for all ages,” Brandon Mackie said, the co-founder of Pickleheads. “Anyone from age 5 to 95 can play and have fun. This makes pickleball the perfect activity for families, especially around the Holidays.”
In Indiana, there are now 267 courts statewide, good for 21st in the country.
Mackie shared that Bluffton is the 16th most popular city in Indiana to play pickleball and that it has three courts to play at: Lions Park and Washington Park are for free, and one at the Caylor-Nickel Foundation Family YMCA with membership.
There are also two courts outside of Bluffton. One is at the Ossian tennis courts for free and at the SW Pickleball Country Club in Warren for a one-time fee.
Pickleball is a perfect summertime activity to enjoy. To learn more, head to pickleheads.com.
