Pickleball club hosting beginners’ clinics

Pickleball. It’s a fun sport with an appropriately funny name that is easy on the body and lends itself to all age brackets, genders and ability levels.

The sport has blossomed nationally and locally among our retirees in Green Valley.

The Green Valley Pickleball Club has 165 members (split evenly between men and women) and will conduct an open beginner’s clinic from 2-4 p.m. on Mondays ( March 1, 8 and 15) at the East Center on Abrego and Esperanza.

Attendees must be GVR members.

Wear tennis shoes. Courts are located on the southeast end of East Center. GVR has paddles available for the clinic. Balls are supplied by the Pickleball Club. Come join the fun and the fastest growing sport in America.

Ages range from 50 to 80+. The game is played on a 20-by-44-foot surface (about the size of a badminton court or 1/4 of a tennis court) with a net lowered to 34 inches at the center and engages two to four players.

The sport - called by many a hybrid of ping pong, racquetball and tennis - is played using oversized ping-pong paddles, and a perforated plastic ball (similar to a whiffleball). A game typically lasts 10-15 minutes.

The Green Valley Pickleball Club encourages doubles play (four people per court).

It is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players. There is open play throughout the day at the East Center courts for GVR members.

Players get great exercise, but at the same time aren’t afraid to chuckle and chatter with others during the game.

We’ve had people that didn’t want to play the game because of the funny name and we get them out here, and they say, “Oh my, this is so much fun, I love this. It’s more fun than racquetball or tennis.”]

Pickleball is a family-friendly game with a slower pace than tennis, yet exciting enough to be enjoyed with one’s grandchildren.

The one thing we all have in common is laughter. If you don’t own any laughter, don’t worry, the Pickleball club will supply it. Most residents of Green Valley are retired and are easily amused!

More general information about Pickleball, including videos, the Green Valley Pickleball Club, is available at: http://gvpickleball.com.

Paul May is a member of the Green Valley Pickleball Club.