What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1144891
JULY 21-27, 2019 WHAT'S UP! 9 "I first saw people playing pickleball at the Rogers Adult Wellness Center when I would walk by the gym on my way to ballet class," says Williams, who is retired from careers in yoga and the performing arts in Salina, Kan. "After my husband passed away, I began dating a man who was a pickleball player. I thought it looked like fun, so he taught me how to play (in 2014) — although I'm still not very good, and he's a top player." The appeal can be as simple as Sanabria's statement that "pickleball is fun" or as esoteric as Hotchkiss' answer, "the people." Williams elaborates. "It is a lifetime sport. It can be played indoors or out. It can be played with all ages mixed together. It's easy to learn. It is very social. You can have fun and get great exercise without being very good. "As a certified referee, I have traveled to many tournaments, most of them out of state," she adds. "The level of camaraderie — which has been vouched for by tennis players — is amazing. And all the health studies we know tell us how important it is to be social, not just active. This sport gives you both." The game "In some ways, pickleball is like most other competitive sports," says Sanabria, who is retired from working in the Walmart supplier community. "You can play pickleball at whatever level you want. It is a great sport for recreation [or] you can play at the highest competitive levels in the world where players of incredible skill and athleticism compete for championships." According to the USAPA, a pickleball paddle is smaller than a tennis racket but larger than a ping pong paddle, and the ball has holes through it like a whiffle ball. "To be honest," says Williams, "there are over 100 paddles to choose from, and at least 30 different balls being manufactured." "Some of the strokes are like tennis, especially the drives from the baseline, then some of the hand-wrist motions are like ping pong for spins," Hotchkiss picks up the narrative. The court is the same size as a doubles badminton court and measures 20-by-44 feet, the USAPA delineates. "The net height is 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle," the rules go on. "The court is striped similar to a tennis court with right and left service courts and a 7-foot non-volley zone in front of the net." NWA Democrat-Gazette/ANDY SHUPE Jill Engert (left) and playing partner Jim Garbison celebrate a point while playing pickleball at the Rogers Adult Wellness Center. See Pickleball Page 37 FAQ Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships WHEN — Nov. 2-10 WHERE — Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Palm Springs, Calif. INFO — usapickleballnational champion ships.com DID YOU KNOW? There's a website devoted to pickleball videos? Visit pickleballchannel.com. NWA Democrat-Gazette/FLIP PUTTHOFF Mark Peifer, director of officiating for the USA Pickleball Association, teaches a clinic earlier this summer for aspiring pickleball referees. Several area pickleball players studied to be qualified to officiate at pickleball tournaments. NWA Democrat-Gazette/ANDY SHUPE Morris McMillon, playing with partner Jim Garbison, returns a shot in a match with Richard Alaimo and Diane Spicer at Rogers Adult Wellness Center.