Not the Vlasic Kind

This morning's newsletter from the New York Times focused on pickleball.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons*

Unlike the author of the article, we never played pickleball in school, so I had no idea what it was all about, other than the fact that I've seen some Facebook posts recently about people who were playing it.

If you, like me, have been curious as to all the hullabaloo about this new sensation, read on. 

Pickleball is defined as a cross between badminton, tennis and ping pong. Like many popular sports, it can be played by young and old alike, but experienced players have discovered secret squirrel strategies that they employ to best their opponents.

You can enjoy this sport indoors or outdoors on a pickleball court, which is the same size as a badminton court but with a different net. The tools of the trade include a paddle that looks like the kind you play ping pong with and a plastic whiffle-like ball. As with tennis, you can play singles or doubles.

I was surprised (as you may well be, too) to discover that pickleball has been around since 1965. Not surprisingly, it was created by three dads in Seattle who were trying to entertain their bored offspring. (I suppose this would account for the ping pong paddle and whiffle ball used in play.) Pickleball is touted as a popular sport in the US and Canada, although it's apparently gaining traction in European and Asian countries, too.

Another fun fact...a person who plays pickleball is called a pickler. In fact there is a whole special vocabulary for picklers. 

When I told Mr. Ginley what I was writing about, he asked why. "Who wants to run around with a raquet whacking gherkins? he inquired, then added, "Don't get any ideas. I'm not playing f-ing pickleball. It's for old people." 

As for Mr. Ginley, I imagine the only pickling he is interested in involves a brew or two as he watches the Ohio State game this evening. 

*Photo credit: TheVillagesFL, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons