ANDOVER - It's normal enough for adults to go to the YMCA to exercise swim or play basketball.
But to play pickleball?
Yes, pickleball. And yes, it's a real sport. It is best described as a mix between tennis, table tennis and badminton that is played on a badminton-sized court with a lower net. Players hit a perforated plastic ball — similar to a whiffle ball — back and forth with oversized ping pong paddles.
Pickleball, which is mostly played in the southern and northwestern part of the country, but has been described as one of the fasting growing sports in the nation, is now starting to catch on locally at the Andover/North Andover branch of the Merrimack Valley YMCA.
Valerie Reading of North Andover was looking for a fun and competitive sport to play — this is when she found out about pickleball being offered at the YMCA and decided to try it out.
"I was just too bored on the treadmill and the bike," Reading said. "I came in and tried it out, and I was hooked ... I can play for two hours straight and I can't imagine being on a treadmill for two hours."
Reading, 48, joins a group of people who play pickleball both for fun and for some good exercise every Tuesday between noon and 2:30 p.m. She enjoys it so much, her husband even bought her an official pickleball paddle as a gift and she joined the YMCA because of it.
The gym only allows for between eight and 12 people to play at a time, but players usually swap out if more are interested in playing. The sport has become so popular, mostly by word of mouth, that it is now offered on Sundays as well.
Amy Quinlan, the sports program director at the Andover/North Andover YMCA, added pickleball after Lynne Trombly donated some start-up equipment. But she had heard about the game before then, she said.
Quinlan said the sport is very casual but "can get competitive" adding that the game is easy to learn and said people of varying athletic levels can play.
Trombly of North Andover learned the game while visiting Florida and enjoyed it so much she became an official ambassador for the sport.
"That's my goal to bring pickleball to as many people as possible," Trombly said. She is available to teach organizations how to play and can provide training for the sport many people haven't heard of.
"I didn't even know (pickleball) existed until a couple of weeks ago," said Brad Reichter, 49, of Andover who said he plays frequently now.
Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island near Seattle, by U.S. Congressman Joel Pritchard and his friends William Bell and Barney McCallum as a way to entertain their kids who were bored with their usual summertime activities. It evolved from the original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport throughout North America and now taking off in India, Singapore and New Zealand, according to the USA Pickleball Association, which promotes the sport.
The name pickleball came from the Pritchard family's cocker spaniel, Pickles, who would chase stray balls and hide them in the bushes. An official rule book and guideline for the sport were published in 1984.
The game can be played indoor or outdoors with two or four players, and is particularly popular in school gym classes and senior citizen hangouts, according to the USAPA.
In order to play pickleball in the gym, the nets have to be set up each time people want to play. Because of the height of the net, it has to be rigged up with 5-gallon jugs, bungee cords and wood boards. The court needs to be marked each time with tape.
Quinlan said when the gym floor gets resurfaced in the future they hope to permanently paint the lines on. There is a small fee for YMCA members to play, and she and Trombly are working on a fee for people who would like to play once or twice a week who don't have a membership.
Mike Brown, 35, of North Andover usually goes to the YMCA to swim but on a recent afternoon he was seen playing pickleball for the first time.
"I just saw some guys I swim with playing and wanted to give it a try," he said. "It is fairly user-friendly."
Brown said he will likely play again and many others who play for the first time have the same reaction. Rodney Hollenbeck, 46, of North Andover said pickleball is a good combination of the three sports and a good workout.
"You can get addicted," Hollenbeck said.
Paul Lambers, 43, of North Andover said he plays tennis and has enjoyed picking up pickleball, He has been a regular player since the YMCA started offering it this winter.
"I knew it was a sport that I could definitely play while getting some exercise," Lambers said. "I've become sort of addicted to it. Once you got it you are good to go. Anyone can play. You don't have to be an unbelievable athlete."
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