Although the local pickle ball players are well represented on the Recreation Committee, there's still a shortage of pickle ball courts in Bella Vista, especially in the winter.
Pickle ball is still a growing sport, POA Recreation Manager Clem Morgan said. It's played with a net, paddles that resemble ping pong paddles and a ball that resembles a whiffle ball.
Some people enjoy playing pickle ball at Branchwood, but that's not really a regulation pickle ball court, Morgan said. They actually play in the racquetball court.
There are also two outside courts near the Metfield Pool. The nearby tennis courts are really not usable, but the some of the pickle ball courts are and Morgan said they see some use all winter except for the very cold days.
Now, the players have a new choice. Recently, pickle ball moved to the Boys and Girls Club on Forest Hills Boulevard.
Every Tuesday at 4:15 p.m. several players meet and set up pickle ball courts in the facility's gym. Then they become coaches for those 10 years old and over who attend the club. In return for their contribution to the Boys and Girls Club program, they get to the use the gym for their own games three mornings a week. It's a win/win situation, players confirmed.
"The greatest thing about pickle ball is the size of a double court," player Chuck Janzen said. "You can have three courts and 12 kids playing at once. The game is only 11 points and you serve underhanded so it doesn't take long for the kids to learn."
Since the games are short, the kids can come and go, he said, and that's perfect for the Boys and Girls Club where members are picked up at various times.
"The ball is plastic with holes in it, so you can hit it really hard," he said, "but if you get hit with a ball it doesn't hurt as much as if you're hit by a tennis ball."
General News on 01/28/2015