Pickleball moves indoors at CC YMCA

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Ever have fried pickles? They’re not bad, believe it or not.

How ‘bout frozen pickles? Probably a little harder to digest and endure

Frozen pickleball is likely not that fun, either.

That’s probably the reason why we haven’t seen the likes of Bob Hedglin, Sue Staudt and the husband-and-wife duo of Ken and Mary Crooks hanging out at Sportsmen’s Park for their otherwise frequent pickleball sessions.

But starting this week, the Charles City Family YMCA is offering an indoor venue for pickleball.

“Lance (Lasher) and Jamie (Caffrey) just lined two courts in the gym,” Ken Crooks said of the Y’s respective executive director and program director. “Now we just need to get the word out that we’re playing inside again.”

Crooks and the rest of the aforementioned foursome took advantage of the indoor opportunity on Wednesday, the day after the courts were lined.

Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, table tennis, racquetball and even Whiffle Ball. It employs a perforated polymer ball and solid paddles and is played on a smaller-sized tennis court (20-by-44 feet). Seven feet from each side of the net are “no-volley zones” where players may only return shots after a bounce. The rest of the court is divided in halves by service lines.

The ball is served with an underhand stroke. Games are generally played to 11 with points only scored by the serving side.

Pickleball was invented by future U.S. House Representative Joel Pritchard in 1965 shortly after he substituted a Whiffle Ball for a missing shuttlecock to play badminton. Pritchard had a dog named “Pickles” so it was thought that the game was named after his dog. But it was revealed the dog came several years after the game’s inception and, thus, was more likely named after the game.

The days and times for pickleball at the YMCA are Mondays and Wednesdays at 11 a.m., Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. (Women only).

“We’re more than willing to take in any first-time players willing to learn a new sport,” Mary Crooks said.

For more information about indoor pickleball at the Charles City YMCA, 800 Hulin St., call 641-228-2254.