Pickleball among fastest growing games in Bristol, country

By Margeaux Gagnon
Posted 7/20/17

If you were to walk by the tennis courts at the Bristol Town Common, you might see a group of people on the tennis courts playing rather closer to the net than you might expect.

That’s …

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Pickleball among fastest growing games in Bristol, country

Posted

If you were to walk by the tennis courts at the Bristol Town Common, you might see a group of people on the tennis courts playing rather closer to the net than you might expect.

That’s because they’re not playing tennis at all, but a variation of the game that also combines elements of ping-pong and racquetball and is played with a modified Wiffleball. They’re playing what is becoming one of the fastest-bowing sports in America: Pickleball.

Here in Bristol, groups of people gather to play pickleball on the tennis courts at the Town Common every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone is welcome to come and play regardless of age or skill level.

An average of 15 to 20 people, and as many as 30, show up to play pickleball on any given day, according to Cliff Teixeira, the USAPA Ambassador for Bristol. Mr. Teixeira makes sure to keep a record of how many people attend the games so he can try to get the town to renovate the courts at the commons so they will have better conditions to play in. Currently the lines on the tennis courts are faded, the courts themselves are cracked, and the lights on the courts don’t work.

“Someday we will go before the town whether it is the parks and rec department or whoever can get us funding or a grant or something, that is what we are looking for,” Mr. Teixeira said. “The more organized we are the better.”

Mr. Teixeira said that they were able to get pickleball courts added to the tennis courts at Mt. Hope High School and at the Town Beach, but the wind was affecting the game too much. The courts at the Town Common get almost no wind and hardly ever get used, he said.

“This area is being utilized. Three to four years ago, it wasn’t,” Mr. Teixeira said. “There’s not many of these places to play, and when wintertime comes, it’s even worse.”

Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell, who originally used wooden ping-pong paddles, a wiffle ball, and a badminton net for equipment, invented the sport in 1965 as an activity to enjoy with their families while on vacation. A game many will remember playing in grade school phys ed class is growing in popularity among an older crowd, and catching on in Bristol, especially among tennis players who may no longer want the more rigorous workout tennis requires. Pickleball is played on a court that is one-third the size of a tennis court.

The name ‘pickleball’ has a few theories of how it originated. Joan Pritchard said that the name came from a ‘pickle boat’ in rowing which was made up of the leftover men from the team, which reminded her of the game of pickleball. Another theory says that it was named after the Pritchard’s dog, Pickles, who would often run off with the ball when it was hit into the trees. The Pritchard’s would call the ball ‘Pickles’ ball” and thus the name of pickleball was born.

Today the United States of America Pickleball Association (USAPA) estimates that more than 2.5 million people actively play pickleball across all 50 states. Many children and teenagers play pickleball in physical education classes and many senior citizens play to stay active and for the social aspect of the game.

Mr. Teixeira got into pickleball when he saw a demonstration at the condominium complex where he lives and decided to give it a try. He found it easy to learn since he had played both racquetball and ping-pong in the past, and fell in love with the game. Now he tries to get more people into the sport, even inviting people who are just walking by to come and play with him.

Lisa Donofrio is an eighth-grade teacher at Portsmouth Middle School who plays pickleball at the Town Common. She is also playing a part in growing the sport of pickleball, having started an after-school club at the school. She said the kids love it and at a recent field day, pickleball was the most popular activity.

“The kids who are in the pickleball club with me refereed and the other kids who had never played before decided ‘yeah I’m coming in to play,’ and they learned it right there on the spot,” Ms. Donofrio said.

Bristol’s pickleball group will be holding a tournament on July 15 at Mt. Hope High School. Registration for the tournament is $25 and closes on July 8. For more information contact Cliff Teixeira at cliff@outsidene.com.

Pickleball

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