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Playbook: Pickleball

It was only my third time holding a Pickleball racquet, and I was asked to play alongside two of the best players in the country. 

Pickleball is played on a court that is one-third the size of a tennis court. The racquet looks like a mix between a squash racquet and a ping pong paddle. Its graphite frame gives off a clear “clink” when it hits the plastic, orange-sized ball.

Pickleball is primarily played as a doubles sport, and I was paired with Marsha Koch, who for the past several years has won gold, silver, and bronze medals with her partner, Jessica Lemire, at the sport’s biggest tournament: the USA Pickleball Association Nationals held near Phoenix, Arizona. Koch and Lemire belong to the Toledo Pickleball Club, where players of all skill levels can play.  Out of fairness, Koch and Lemire played on opposite sides for our scrimmage. I was on Koch’s side, and Lemire played alongside Steve Poseler, a newbie like me.

Poseler and I did our best not to get in the way while Lemire ripped returns across the net with twisting side and topspin, and Koch slammed overhand winners to the unguarded corners of the court. Even as a new player, I had a hell of a lot of fun. The game often compels long rallies along the net that demand quick reactions and a soft touch. And with the smaller court, every ball seems within reach.  

Quickly Growing

Joel Pritchard, a U.S. Congressman from Washington State, invented Pickleball in 1965. He named the sport after his dog, Pickles. The sport spread quickly, and there are now courts in all 50 states.  

“We are seeing a surge in Pickleball popularity nationwide,” said the Executive Director of the USA Pickleball Association, Justin Maloof. Maloof believes that Pickleball is becoming so popular because people new to the sport can start playing right away. “The rules are simple which allows beginners to play the game almost immediately,” said Maloof.

A Home in Rossford

Three years ago, 38 dedicated players all chipped in $351 each in order to renovate an old set of tennis courts on Glenwood Avenue near Rossford Junior High School.  They now have six official Pickleball courts that are painted a sharp blue and green, and enclosed with a high metal fence. They also recently built a covered pavilion for spectators and get-togethers. “This would have been nothing but two tennis courts rotting,” said Connie Mierzejewski, who leads the Toledo Pickleball Club with Marsha Koch.

Mierzejewski and Koch work together throughout the year to grow the sport. They offer clinics for new players, and organize skill-ranked matches that allow the club’s players to compete on the national circuit.  For $25, a player has access to multiple games per week throughout the six months of the year that the Club plays on its outdoor courts. The Club also hosts an annual tournament in July that attracts over 100 players from a handful of surrounding states.

A Game for Everyone

The game is “geared towards baby boomers,” said Koch.  The smaller court and low-impact play make games manageable for people with less mobility than they used to have. The quick pace also provides non-stop movement for anyone who would like fun exercise.

The sport is not just for older people. Koch’s partner, Jessica Lemire, is in her mid-20’s. I played a very competitive game against a high-school student and a man in his early 70’s. Athleticism does help in Pickleball—being able to run down an overhead drop shot, or rush the net, are real assets—but anyone with hand-eye control can play and feel competitive. For older athletes, it is “something that [has] allowed them to compete again,” said Koch. 

Mierzejewski sees it as more than just a game. She has found community through Pickleball, and she enjoys the time she spends with other players. “That’s what you do. You make friends.”

To play ball and learn more please visit toledopickleball.com
or contact [email protected]

Got a comment? Tweet us @TCPaper 
Tweet Dorian @DorianMarley

Dorian Slaybod is an attorney happily living in Toledo.

It was only my third time holding a Pickleball racquet, and I was asked to play alongside two of the best players in the country. 

Pickleball is played on a court that is one-third the size of a tennis court. The racquet looks like a mix between a squash racquet and a ping pong paddle. Its graphite frame gives off a clear “clink” when it hits the plastic, orange-sized ball.

Pickleball is primarily played as a doubles sport, and I was paired with Marsha Koch, who for the past several years has won gold, silver, and bronze medals with her partner, Jessica Lemire, at the sport’s biggest tournament: the USA Pickleball Association Nationals held near Phoenix, Arizona. Koch and Lemire belong to the Toledo Pickleball Club, where players of all skill levels can play.  Out of fairness, Koch and Lemire played on opposite sides for our scrimmage. I was on Koch’s side, and Lemire played alongside Steve Poseler, a newbie like me.

Poseler and I did our best not to get in the way while Lemire ripped returns across the net with twisting side and topspin, and Koch slammed overhand winners to the unguarded corners of the court. Even as a new player, I had a hell of a lot of fun. The game often compels long rallies along the net that demand quick reactions and a soft touch. And with the smaller court, every ball seems within reach.  

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Quickly Growing

Joel Pritchard, a U.S. Congressman from Washington State, invented Pickleball in 1965. He named the sport after his dog, Pickles. The sport spread quickly, and there are now courts in all 50 states.  

“We are seeing a surge in Pickleball popularity nationwide,” said the Executive Director of the USA Pickleball Association, Justin Maloof. Maloof believes that Pickleball is becoming so popular because people new to the sport can start playing right away. “The rules are simple which allows beginners to play the game almost immediately,” said Maloof.

A Home in Rossford

Three years ago, 38 dedicated players all chipped in $351 each in order to renovate an old set of tennis courts on Glenwood Avenue near Rossford Junior High School.  They now have six official Pickleball courts that are painted a sharp blue and green, and enclosed with a high metal fence. They also recently built a covered pavilion for spectators and get-togethers. “This would have been nothing but two tennis courts rotting,” said Connie Mierzejewski, who leads the Toledo Pickleball Club with Marsha Koch.

Mierzejewski and Koch work together throughout the year to grow the sport. They offer clinics for new players, and organize skill-ranked matches that allow the club’s players to compete on the national circuit.  For $25, a player has access to multiple games per week throughout the six months of the year that the Club plays on its outdoor courts. The Club also hosts an annual tournament in July that attracts over 100 players from a handful of surrounding states.

A Game for Everyone

The game is “geared towards baby boomers,” said Koch.  The smaller court and low-impact play make games manageable for people with less mobility than they used to have. The quick pace also provides non-stop movement for anyone who would like fun exercise.

The sport is not just for older people. Koch’s partner, Jessica Lemire, is in her mid-20’s. I played a very competitive game against a high-school student and a man in his early 70’s. Athleticism does help in Pickleball—being able to run down an overhead drop shot, or rush the net, are real assets—but anyone with hand-eye control can play and feel competitive. For older athletes, it is “something that [has] allowed them to compete again,” said Koch. 

Mierzejewski sees it as more than just a game. She has found community through Pickleball, and she enjoys the time she spends with other players. “That’s what you do. You make friends.”

To play ball and learn more please visit toledopickleball.com
or contact [email protected]

Got a comment? Tweet us @TCPaper 
Tweet Dorian @DorianMarley

Dorian Slaybod is an attorney happily living in Toledo.

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