Merritt’s fastest-growing outdoor sport this summer is all set to move indoors for the winter months.
The game of pickleball is ready to run from 9 to 11 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the former Coquihalla Middle School gymnasium, beginning Friday, October 2.
The cost to play indoors will be $35 for the entire season, or just $3 per session on a drop-in basis.
The fall-winter-spring session indoors follows a terrific summer of activity at the Bench tennis courts that saw 20-plus participants each time taking part in morning sessions facilitated by local pickleball enthusuasts Brian and Sylvia Dafoe.
A raquet sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis (a.k.a. ping pong), pickleball is played by two, three or four players. It was first invented back in the mid 1960s as a backyard pastime for kids, but has rapidly become popular among adults — especially seniors.
The Dafoes were first introduced to the sport during one of their frequent trips to Mexico.
“All ages can play, but it’s a real ‘hit’ with the 50-plus age group,” Sylvia said. “It’s easier on the body than tennis, squash or racquetball. All you need is a good pair of runners, a racquet and a few balls.”
A pickleball court is similar to the one used in badminton in terms of dimensions and markings, while the net rules and height are comparable to those in tennis. The soft paddles of wood or polymer are much like ping pong racquets, while the ball is analgous to a Wiffle ball used in children’s playground games.
The objective of pickleball is much the same as that of its racquet-sport cousins — to successfully get the ball over the net and win points off rallies.
All serving in pickleball is underhand and diagonal across the net. Games are played to 11, 15 or 21 points depending upon the event, and games must be won by at least two points.
To further promote the sport and its transition to an indoor setting, the Dafoes have arranged for an introductory clinic on Wednesday, October 7 at the CMS gym.
“There’ll be no charge for the clinic, and all the necessary equipment will be supplied,” Brian said.
For more information on pickleball, the free clinic and the indoor season, contact the Dafoes at 250-378-7452.
