West Roxbury

• Crunch time on the pickleball court in West Roxbury

• 
  COMMENT
   1
   0
|
 
Purchase this Photo
Tinna Moy, right, of Newton, and Ed Waterfall, of West Roxbury, play a pick-up game of pickleball at the Roche Family Community Center in West Roxbury, Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Wicked Local staff photo / Kate Flock
• 

  

  
• By Victoria Groves
  Transcript@wickedlocal.com

  
  Posted Apr. 1, 2016 at 7:00 AM 
  
  ROSLINDALE

  If you haven’t heard of a sport called pickleball, you’ve got some catching up to do. One of the fastest growing athletic games in the nation, it’s a paddle sport that has been described as a cross between tennis, badminton and ping-pong, that appeals to all age levels. And it’s gaining fans in West Roxbury.

  Since it began in 1965 outside of Seattle, it’s swept all 50 states. There’s even a housing development in Florida that boasts 187 courts. Played both indoors and outdoors on a badminton-sized court and with a slightly modified tennis net, it’s lauded as a game of strategy and positioning where youth and speed aren’t necessarily the keys to victory. It’s also an inexpensive sport that can be picked up easily, something that many seniors view as a way to get active without overtaxing their bodies.

  Peter Sullivan, of Winchester, is a pickleball enthusiast who works with the USA Pickleball Association as an ambassador. After talking to Boston’s Parks and Recreation Department, the Parkway seemed like the perfect place to introduce the game. About two months ago, the Roche Community Center began offering pick-up pickleball games on two courts, and the rest is history. The center provides the paddles and balls and members just need to bring sneakers, water and an interest in learning a new pastime.

  “If you have hand-eye coordination, you’ll pick it right up,” Sullivan said. “It’s competitive but friendly … we enjoy each other’s company but we also enjoy competing.”

  While anyone can play, the sport has become increasingly popular with retirees as well as in middle school and high school physical education classes.

  “I’ve met so many people who are so excited that there’s a competitive game for them to play at 60, 70, 80 years of age,” Sullivan said. “If you thought your athletic career was over now that you’re older, it’s not.”

  When playing pickleball, each person uses a pickleball paddle, which is smaller than a tennis racquet but larger than a ping-pong paddle. Originally, paddles were made only from wood, but are now available in lightweight composite materials, including aluminum and graphite. The ball itself is light and resembles a wiffleball, with different models intended for indoor and outdoor play. It travels at about a third of the speed of a tennis ball, allowing for longer volleys.

  Ed Waterfall, of West Roxbury, and his wife Lorry Ahmann, have both been playing for about three years and have become regulars at the Roche Center courts on Wednesdays. “I don’t like to get on a machine at the gym to exercise … it’s boring,” said Waterfall. “It’s an easy sport to pick up and we hope that it really takes off here.”