Active Living

Pickleball is the fastest growing recreational activity for older adults. Besides being a great way to maintain an active lifestyle Pickleball is fun, social and a game that can be played by all ages. The game is very big in Florida, Arizona and Texas and it is exploding north of the border both in numbers and demographics. Active members of the Ottawa Pickleball Association Solange, Diana and Mike tell us what Pickleball is and why it is so popular.

Pickleball is a combination of three sports: tennis, badminton and ping-pong. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, similar to a Wiffle Ball, over a net. It can be played on a court indoors or outdoors. The game of Pickleball was developed so that all members of a family could participate so the rules were kept simple.

Solange, a regular Pickleball player in Ottawa and Texas feels it is a great way to stay in shape. “The very best thing about Pickleball is it is so much fun and you socialize. It is a great way to meet new people, make friends for life and stay in shape. It is a super wonderful sport.”

“It’s got a lot of action. It is a sport you can pick-up reasonably quickly and you can become proficient reasonably quickly which means there is more action in the games” says Mike a regular Pickball player and ambassador for the sport.

Not only is Pickleball healthy and social, according to Diana a regular Pickleball player in Ottawa, but “you get to meet people from all walks of life that you might never have met before. It opens up a whole new world. As a retiree it is really good because it gets you out and you meet people.”

Where does the name Pickleball come from? No one seems to know for sure and there are various theories. The main explanation is that the inventor of the game had a dog named “Pickles”. What we do know for sure is that the growth and passion for the sport continues. Pickleball is a great way to meet new people and stay active. Why not give it a try? For more information about Pickleball visit the Ottawa Pickleball Association https://ottawapickleballassociation.com/ and Pickleball Canada https://pickleballcanada.org/index.php

Credits

Photography

• Michael Gauthier ( http://www.freedomphotography.ca)

Music

• "Dance of Felt" from Blue Dot Sessions
• "An Opus in Ab" from Blue Dot Sessions