Pickleball – The Next Sporting Craze

 

Move over golf and tennis – there’s a new game in town, and it’s sweeping across the country engaging sport enthusiasts of all ages.

 

If the legends are true, pickleball was created from the cast-offs of other sports. In a fit of boredom back in 1965 the creators were a few guys just looking for something to do. They had a badminton court, but not enough rackets, so they used ping-pong paddles and a whiffle ball. They called the game pickleball because the family dog was named Pickles. Just like that, a new sport was born, and members at Boca West Country County have embraced the sport with enthusiasm.

 

Pickleball is a game of strategy and finesse, slower than tennis and very social while remaining a heart-pumping competitive sport. It’s often described as a hybrid of tennis, badminton and ping pong. The sport evolved over the years, and the paddle is now twice the size of a ping pong paddle, and the court is played on a badminton-sized court. It’s governed by the USA Pickleball Association, which maintains the ruled, promotes the sports, sanctions the tournaments and provides player rankings.

 

Boca West members are having a ball, literally – so why not see if pickleball is your new go-to game. Head over to the Tennis Center where new and entry-level players can take lessons and compete in round-robin tournaments. There is a group of early bird players who play at 8 a.m., and the standard starting time for play is 9 a.m. All members are welcome without prior notice. Please feel free to contact the tennis staff for details, or for help organizing a game. For a few tips on how the game is played check out FAQS at Engage Pickleball.

 

EngagePickleball, one of the country’s premier pickleball organizations, continues to support our program, and Boca West is hosting its inaugural Engage Pickleball tournament Friday, October 5 through Sunday, October 7. Competitive pickleball players from around the state and the nation have registered and will gather at Boca West over the weekend, competing for $5,000 in prize money. The event will kick off on Friday, October from 3 to 4:30 p.m. with a social and exhibition. Saturday will feature a clinic for Boca West members from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. followed by Men’s and Women’s Doubles Tournament starting at 11 a.m. Sunday, October 7 will feature a Mixed Doubles tournament at 11 a.m.
Members are welcome to come watch the sporting action or sign-up and compete.

 

Space is limited for the EngagePickleball tournament and interested members can register for $50 per player at www.pickleballtournaments.com. For more information, contact John Joyce, Director of Tennis, at 561.488.6996.

 

Save the date: Saturday, November 17 , the Tennis Center staff is presenting a Pickleball Exhibition & Clinic, and a hosting a Pickleball Tournament on Sunday, November 18.

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