GALION–The fastest-growing sport in the U.S. is also sweeping Galion residents off their feet, prompting plans for six more pickleball courts in town behind the Galion Community Center-YMCA.
The city is putting in the new courts on the north side of the 500 Gill Ave. facility, according to Terry Gribble, director of operations for the Y. The ground has already been prepped for the $130,000 project, which should be done in the spring, he said.
“We just had to wait on some grant cycles to come through so the money can be allocated,” Gribble said.
“It’s a popular sport and event going on that all people can play. It’s just a great thing and certainly something good for the community, too.”
The Y already draws dozens of pickleball lovers to its three indoor courts on weekday mornings. Sam Frey, 81, shows up every Tuesday and Thursday to play the fast-paced game. “I’m pretty much a regular. I’m the oldest one there, I’m sure I am.”
Frey, who didn’t pick up his first paddle until last December, said he had to learn the proper way to serve and the rules of the game. “I just started playing and one guy gave me some pointers to start out with and I just kept building up on that,” he said.
“It was kind of rough starting out. My body had to adjust to the moving around and running around like that,” said Frey, who retired for the second time in 2020. “I’m not one of the better players. I’m doing pretty decent though, I think. I keep my own.”
Pennie Fox is also a regular at the Y after joining the action with a friend two years ago. In fact, she became so passionate about the game that she and her husband, Bill, decided to put in a regulation-size court at the end of their driveway on Fox Court.
Their project was one of 9 around the country featured in a story published Oct. 17 in “The Wall Street Journal.” “Our YMCA had a group of men players. My friend and I thought it looked fun. We joined in and now, two years later, I have my own court!” she told the newspaper.
Fox said it’s not uncommon to burn 700 calories in a two-hour session. But more than anything, she loves “making memories” while playing with her family. “It’s so sweet because my little grands when they come over, they say, ‘granny, can we play pickleball?’ If the sun’s shining, we play every day.”
Forty million people are expected to play pickleball by 2030, according to CNBC. The average annual growth of players has increased 11.5-percent over the last five years – higher than tennis, badminton, and ping pong – and the game has now spread to 70 countries.
Growing interest in the sport is attributed to several factors, including a short learning curve, appeal to a wide range of age and fitness levels, and low startup costs. There are now 4.8 million players in the U.S. and thousands of pickleball tournaments around the country.
Frey is thrilled he joined the bandwagon. After a morning of pickleball, he often heads downstairs for another workout – arm and leg exercises and time on the stationary bike. “I’ve made some good friends, and I get lots of exercise too.”
In the winter months, Fox even plays on Wednesday nights with other “dinkheads” at the Y. “I love pickleball so much. It’s just a sport that everybody can enjoy,” she said. “It’s a great sport. I love it. It’s just fun.”
