Pickleball draws small but devoted following

A trio of Seattle men invented a recreational sport in 1965 they thought would help bring families together.

More than 30 years later, the game of pickleball has not caught on like the recreational sports it was derived from -- tennis, Ping-Pong and badminton -- but it has developed a small following in Cape Girardeau.

"I started playing during high school," said Andy Arnzen, a Notre Dame alumnus and sophomore at the University of Missouri. "We played at lunch."

The game, which still is played during lunch time and even in physical education classes, has become somewhat unique to Cape Girardeau's Catholic high school.

"I know I haven't heard of kids in Jackson or around here playing it," Notre Dame alumnus Garrett Holzum said.

The game is played one-on-one or with pairs, much like tennis. Pickleball rules are similar to those of badminton, with players using wooden paddles to hit balls similar to Wiffle Balls over a 3-foot-tall net.

"It's just a fun sport," Arnzen said. "To play doesn't take a whole lot of physical ability. It's a little different than your normal sports."

This summer a group of current and former Notre Dame students have been meeting on Monday evenings to play. Along with the students, several teachers are regulars to the group.

The Monday evening group may seem like they're just out there for fun and games, but like any other sport, once the game begins, the competitive side comes out.

"Everyone comes out to have fun," Holzum said. "But when it comes down to it, they're out to win."

The returns can come pretty fast and furious in pickleball, with the player up front taking the brunt of the abuse.

"It's pretty heated during the game," Arnzen said. "I've seen a couple of people get hit."

But when that floating return comes over the net, it's hard to pass up a good smash.

"Any time you get a chance to spike one, it's a good time," Arnzen said.

The game of pickleball can be played on specialized courts which are easily accessible in states along the West Coast, or for those interested in Southeast Missouri, hard surfaces like driveways, streets and gyms are suitable as well.

"The bottom line is that it's a lot of fun," Holzum said.

jjoffray@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 171

On the net

Game sets are sold at www.pickleball.com for $80 to $110.

The U.S. Pickleball Association is at usapa.org.