Provided by Woodbridge Pickleball
If you’ve been looking to try a new sport that combines accessibility, cardio, and strategy then look no further than pickleball. Played on a badminton-size court with a tennis net using oversized table tennis paddles and a wiffle ball, pickleball has quickly become the fastest growing sport in the nation.
A Game for Everyone
The reason for its success? Seniors and folks with limited mobility appreciate a challenging fast-paced sport on a small court. The addictive rallies play out quickly. Games are played to 11 points, yet rarely take more than 15 minutes to finish. Where other sports can take an hour for one game, players can squeeze in at least three games of pickleball.
Seniors aren’t the only people falling in love with pickleball. Young adults enjoy the quick games that focus more on technique and strategy rather than speed and power. Jason Shriner, Marketing Manager for the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation witnessed pickleball’s explosion in popularity at the Manassas Park Community Center over the past few years. An avid player himself, he met the Woodbridge group a year ago and has played games at the Ferlazzo Building and at Veteran’s Memorial Park. “Another reason I love pickleball is the low commitment. It’s very inexpensive to get started and because games are played so fast, I can squeeze in a game or two before work every day,” said Shriner.
Woodbridge Pickleball
Woodbridge Pickleball Ambassador Barbara Tyrrell and the Woodbridge pickleball community coordinated an exhibition at the Taste of Woodbridge event in June. The demonstration was so popular, they were invited to host another exhibition at the Chili Cook-off and Fall Festival at Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 11:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m.
“We want to go bigger with our exhibition this time. We’re getting a whole street to set up a full court and inviting local instructors to come chat with any interested beginners,” said Tyrrell.
Interested players ages 17 and older are invited to try out pickleball for free at the Chili Cook-off and Fall Festival. Players should come wearing comfortable clothing and tennis shoes.
For more information, contact Barbara Tyrrell at sfswoodbridgepickleball@gmail.com.
