Are you ready for some pickleball?
The Fountain Valley Pickleball Club invites residents to the Fountain Valley Sports Park on Saturday, July 21 to help celebrate the sport and help residents learn more about it. The event is set for 11 a.m. at the Fountain Valley Tennis Center and will include music, snacks, prizes and an opportunity to watch a pickleball demonstration.
So, just what is pickleball?
It’s a combination of tennis and ping-pong played on a badminton court, either indoor or outdoor. The ball is basically a heavy-duty whiffle ball.
The sound of the ball hitting the paddle sounds like ping-pong, but the pickleball court resembles a small tennis court.
This is my kind of game. It can be played by all ages, but it is especially appealing to people like myself, whose joints are vulnerable. And nobody wants vulnerable joints.
Pickleball aficionados say playing the game allows you to work on your balance, reflexes and hand-eye coordination.
The sport may seem new but it’s been around for more than 50 years. Its popularity is pretty impressive: There is a national nonprofit organization, called the USA Pickleball Association, which offers information about the game, its rules, its origin and more. You can also find locations in all 50 states where you can play pickleball.
By the way, the USAPA National Championships are Nov. 3-11 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, a 16,100-seat stadium with 28 world-class tennis courts. It is expected to also become home to some championship pickleball courts.
If you’re like me, you probably have some questions about this new – I mean old – sport.
For instance: Why is it called pickleball?
There are various theories, the most notable being that the game was named after a dog named Pickles, which belonged to of one of the sport’s founders. (I have a cat named Mr. Pickles who is available to be a mascot for any aspiring pickleball team. Just contact me at cseeden@hotmail.com and I’ll have Mr. Pickles’ people meet with your people.)
And here’s a lesser-known pickleball fact: The sport is popular with inmates at the Cook County Jail in Chicago.
So that’s my pickleball primer.
If you are interested in attending the July 21 event, RSVP by texting the Fountain Valley Pickleball Club at 949-427-1063; or email FountainValleyPickleball@gmail.com.
The Sports Park is at 16400 Brookhurst St.