Pickleball takes off in St. Joseph

By Kendra Simpson

Pickleball is on the rise across the U.S., from college campuses to sports leagues and even to St. Joseph recreational groups.

What started as a backyard improvised game of Badminton in 1965 has exploded into a national sport for all ages, genders and abilities.

St. Joseph has more than two dozen pickleball courts located at the Bode Sports Complex, Hyde Park, Ricky Dean’s and more.

One member of the Pony Express Pickle Ball Club said the sport has gained so much attention because it evens the playing field.

“I consider it a great equalizer,” Pony Express Pickle Ball Club player Roger Mapel said. “There’s really no clear advantage of one category or group of person over the other, age-wise or gender-wise.”

He wasn’t the only one to say so. Players at Ricky Dean’s said while the majority of sports leagues have restrictions on age and gender, Pickleball provides a rare opportunity for an entire family to join in on the fun.

“It doesn’t have gender or age boundaries,” Ricky Dean’s pickleball league player Jill Voltmer said. “I will play with males and females alike. I have played with a person that is 75 years old and I’ve played with a person that’s 10 years old.”

Other players agree that the openness of the game sets it apart.

“It’s not really gender exclusive,” University of Missouri pickleball player Cameron Gilmore said. “A lot of sports, they separate men’s and women’s on tennis, on racquetball, whatever else you want to call it. But pickleball, you do see a lot of that co-ed play … in national tournaments as well.”

To learn more about Ricky Dean’s pickleball leagues, visit its website at https://www.rickydeans.com/pickleball. More information about the Pony Express Pickle Ball Club can be found on its Facebook page.