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neck of the woods | theatre
t he g o o d l if e | r ecr eation

WANT HEALTHY FUN? GET PICKLED!

pickleball fever is sweeping through southern oregon.

by John Riha

t’s the fastest-growing sport in Southern Oregon and if you play it, keeps people active,” says Redd. “When they play frequently, they build
Ichances are you’ll be addicted. That’s “pickleball,” the habit-forming relationships, enjoy each other, and then they’ll get together for other
aerobic sport that blends strategy, patience, and quick reflexes with fun activities like hiking and kayaking.”
smiles and camaraderie.
Buy-in to the sport is minimal—all you really need are tennis shoes
“When I first heard about pickleball I thought it was some wacky kids’ and a pickleball paddle that will cost from $50 to $200. Action comes
game invented by our local YMCA,” says David Johnson, a Grants Pass via a perforated plastic ball that you strike with your paddle. Pickleball
resident who was first introduced to the sport a decade ago. But his organizations supply balls, nets, and places to play.
wife, Sabrina, a YMCA volunteer, told him that pickleball looked like
fun and encouraged him to try it out. “I’d never done any paddle sports, Venues, however, can take work to establish. Because pickleball is
but I picked it up right away,” he says. “Then I really got hooked.” relatively new, getting cash-strapped municipalities to provide facilities
might be challenging. The most common solution is for organizations to
Did he ever! He’s now an instructor certified by the International work with city councils to provide shared courts, which means painting
Pickleball Teaching Professional Association and one of the highest-rated lines for pickleball boundaries on existing tennis and basketball courts,
players in Southern Oregon. In addition, he’s a founding member of and sometimes cleaning and resurfacing older courts. Volunteer help
the Rogue Pickleball Club, a group in the Grants Pass area that boasts and fundraising drives have been successful in encouraging cities to
400 members. Grants Pass isn’t the only hub of pickleball aficionados. accommodate pickleball play.
The Southern Oregon Pickleball Association (SOPA) has more than 700
website subscribers from all over the Rogue Valley, and the Klamath “In Klamath Falls, we started out with one court in the dance hall of
Basin Pickleball Association (KBPA) in Klamath Falls includes more than the local senior center,” says Redd. “That ceiling was really low! We
200 members. “It’s just been catching on like crazy,” says Jack Methot, didn’t want to keep hitting the ceiling fan, so we scouted around and
President of SOPA. “We’re getting new members all the time.” found a couple of old gyms that we helped renovate by working with the
city. Now we’ve got a four-court facility that’s completely dedicated to
One reason is the game is so popular is its broad appeal—it’s accessible pickleball—thanks to volunteer labor and the efforts of our club—and
across a spectrum of ages and talent levels. It’s easy to learn and you we’re getting ready to break ground on a six-court complex at Harbor
don’t have to be a natural athlete to compete. Isles Tennis Club.”

“You can put a paddle in someone’s hand and within five minutes they’re Pickleball club volunteers do more than build courts, too. Members of
having fun,” says David Johnson. “With tennis, it might take a beginner SOPA, for example, have raised their hands to help teach Ashland and
two years before they’re really having fun.” Phoenix-Talent middle-schoolers, and teach a twice-a-year class for OLLI
(Osher Lifetime Learning Institute) at Southern Oregon University.
Another big reason pickleball is so enjoyable is that the court is relatively They’ve also taught the sport to patients at the Veterans’ Administration
small—about one-fourth the size of a tennis court. You typically play Rehabilitation Center & Clinics in White City. “Introducing pickleball
two-on-two, with pairs of players facing off across a low center net. That to the veterans at the Rehabilitation Center was really rewarding,” says
puts everyone in close proximity. “There’s a built-in intimacy between Methot who, along with several other volunteers, cleaned off an exist-
the folks you play with,” notes Johnson. “You can see their faces, their ing tennis court and added pickleball lines. “They really enjoyed playing,
eyes, and their smiles. It creates a social atmosphere. If you’re scouting and it was a great opportunity for them to get exercise and have some
around for a pickleball court to play at, you probably can find one by fun. We’ll be going back this year.”
just listening for the laughter.”
Established sports venues are getting in on pickleball’s popularity, too.
Kristi Redd, former president of the KBPA, says that bonds formed At the Rogue Valley Country Club (RVCC) in Medford, the expansive
playing pickleball often spill over into other shared activities. “Pickleball indoor tennis facility has been modified to include boundary lines for

58 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | winter 2022