Tickled to talk pickleball

Pickleball players know to only hang out in the "kitchen" if they happen to be "dinking."

"Dinking" refers to hitting the larger-than-average whiffle ball softly over the net and the "kitchen" is the 7-foot, no-volley zone near the net where players cannot enter until the ball has bounced. Players remind themselves and others to "stay out of the kitchen."

"The reason for that whole area is so you cannot just stand up at the net and slam it back at people," United States Pickleball Association (USAPA) ambassador Ken Heydon of Post Falls, said Wednesday. "It's part of the strategy of the game."

Pickleball is presently known as the fastest-growing sport in the country.

"They claim in the country, but in reality, in the world," said pickleball enthusiast Pat Hoon of Coeur d'Alene. "It's getting into other countries, but nowhere near what it is in the United States."

Pickleball is the platypus of racket games, drawing its court size from badminton and game play from tennis and ping-pong while utilizing its own unique paddles and ball. Heydon referred to a pickleball analogy he recently read about a woman who discussed her experience.

"After she played, she said, 'I can best describe it a playing ping-pong standing on top of the table,'" he said. "That is very true."

"A much larger table," Hoon added.

North Idaho and the Inland Northwest are seeing an influx of interest in the game as more people learn about it and pickleball courts are added to local parks. Actual pickleball courts are about a third the size of a tennis court, but when a dedicated pickleball court is not available, players can use chalk to draw the correct lines and lower a tennis net by 2 inches to achieve the pickleball standard.

Hoon said the sport is growing in popularity because it is easy for the growing population of seniors to play.

"All ages can play it, but it's tough for us to be competitive at our age, on a tennis court," he said. "And the game is not dominated by the serve."

The game requires an underhand serve, rather than a powerful overhand. It's social, relatively inexpensive (sets range from about $150 to $450 online), encourages good sportsmanship and provides light exercise and a fun outing for older folks.

"It's just really designed around the Baby Boomer generation, flowing through this cycle, looking for some type of exercise that is fun, and it fits that bill," Heydon said. "You can learn it quickly."

"Even my dad's playing; he's 78," said USAPA ambassador Letha Rodrigues of Coeur d'Alene. "He's interested because he cannot play tennis anymore."

Heydon, Hoon, Rodrigues, USAPA ambassador Libby Macklin of Blanchard and Rodrigues' husband, pickleball enthusiast John Rodrigues, estimated the number of players in Kootenai County to be more than 100 - about three times what it was last year - with several players in the Silver Valley and more in Bonner County. The group has been in contact with area parks and recreation departments as well as possible facilities to explore the option of adding pickleball courts, indoor and outdoor.

"I'd love to have eight indoor courts here in Coeur d'Alene," John said.

Heydon teaches beginner lessons through the Post Falls Parks and Recreation Department, which also offers a pickleball doubles league, facilitated at the dedicated pickleball courts in Sportsman Park, between 19th and 21st avenues off Spokane Street in Post Falls. Players are generally at Sportsman Park beginning at 9 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and play at 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays on the tennis courts in Northshire Park in Coeur d'Alene, located at Atlas and West Nez Perce roads.

"Our whole purpose in this is trying to promote it and get dedicated pickleball courts," Hoon said. "We are of the opinion, and I think anybody that knows anything that's going on in this sport, that if you build dedicated pickleball courts, they will come."

For those interested in watching the sport played, the Slamma Jamma Pickleball Tournament is taking place Sept. 20 at 8:30 a.m. at the HUB Sports Center in Liberty Lake. Also, local players who will be at Sportsman and Northshire parks generally bring extra paddles so interested parties can join for a game, the group said.

"It's social and it's so welcoming," Letha said. "We don't care if you're a beginner, we're going to teach you and blend you in with the rest of us that are experienced. It's just fun."

Info: www.usapa.org, www.postfallsidaho.org or www.hubsportscenter.org.