From Bingo to Dink Shots: The Pickleball Phenomenon
Corbett's, Tucson's new entertainment complex, sponsors a 50+ women's pickleball team, the Pickley Pairs.
Have you caught the pickleball bug yet? The game has exploded in parks across the country. If you’re a retiree, you probably play pickleball or know someone who does. According to the 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) Single Sport Report on Pickleball, 52% of players are 55 or older, and 32.7% are 65+.
I played tennis most of my adult life. I picked up pickleball in 2011 when a California friend taught me the rules. The game is a cross between tennis, badminton, and ping pong, played on a smaller court than tennis with a whiffle-type ball and a paddle. It’s an easy game to learn for kids and non-athletes. The smaller court appeals to many aging tennis players with their arthritic knees.
According to Pickleball lore, in 1965 two families on Bainbridge Island in Washington invented the game to keep their kids entertained. There are a few opinions on how the game was named: after one of their dogs, putting people in a “pickle,” or pickle boats…whatever they are. Pickleball the name, stuck for the game and it grew through word of mouth. Nearly six decades later, it’s a phenomenon.
Cities are finding it challenging to keep up with the public demand for courts. New courts are being built, old tennis courts are being converted, and the courts are packed with passionate pickleball people.
Most 55+ communities have at least one pickleball court. Many have multiple courts with lessons, leagues, and social activities.
When I retired and spent my first winter in Tucson, I taught my new partner Kate how to play pickleball. As a former racquetball and fastpitch softball player, she caught onto the game quickly and soon was kicking my butt. But pickleball served another important purpose for us: we met and made friends in our new community. Search “pickleball” on Facebook, and you’ll likely find groups to connect with near you. That made all the difference during our first snowbird winter.
This year Kate joined an Arizona Pickleball Player’s League (APPL) 50+ 3.0 women’s team. They practiced together for the last two months and had their first league match this week. Their team, the “Pickley Pairs,” is sponsored by Corbett’s, Tucson’s new downtown pickleball entertainment complex.
Corbett’s opened on August 29, 2023. The complex boasts three outdoor courts, two indoor courts, a full restaurant and sports bar, outdoor patio seating (you can bring your dog), and a stage for entertainment. Wanting to create community, Corbett’s hosts “Trivia Tuesday” and “Boots and Beats,” country music, drink specials, and dancing, every Wednesday evening.
Add Corbett’s to the other popular pickleball entertainment centers popping up across the country.
First matches of the season are always nerve-wracking because you don’t quite know what to expect.
To win a pickleball game, you play to 11, and must win by 2 points. Teams in the APPL league field six players, three teams of doubles. Every Pickley Pairs team played an opponent’s teams twice, scoring 2 points if they won, and 1 point if they scored at least 6. Then teams rotated to play each of the other opponent’s teams. All players ended up playing six games with their partners.
The Pickley Pairs ended the day with 34 points scored out of 36, a decisive victory for their first match. It was fun to watch and cheer them on!
Afterward, several players from both teams stayed for lunch and conversation at the restaurant, enjoying casual, outdoor dining. Turns out, it was a winning day for Corbett’s too.
Not sure I'm ready for playing pickleball but I'm living vicariously through your travels and adventures. Had to send this to another writer, snowbirding in Tucson and playing a lot of pickleball, because this made me think of her. Snow fall finally hits the Midwest in case you were wondering what you were missing. Bright and white!