Pickleball picks up Players grow with sport that's gaining ground
Jackie Bullman had a vision.
The East Brady resident shared it with friends Liz Archambault and Brenda Pyle, both of Butler. The vision was pickleball. And it's grown into a phenomenon in the city and beyond.
“I spend part of the year in Florida and got into playing pickleball down there,” Bullman, 62, said. “It's amazing how popular it is, and it's such a basic game.
“I grew up around here (Butler) and I had a vision for Ritts Park. The tennis courts are there and the park is rarely used. I felt like we could bring the game there.”
Archambault and Pyle quickly got on board.
“Jackie can be very persuasive,” Archambault said.
The pickleball movement began in April of 2019 with a handful of players. The contingent grew by word of mouth.
Bullman got Jeff Smith, a Butler city councilman, on board and her vision gained more momentum.
“This summer, it's just exploded,” Bullman said of the number of people showing up to play.
Now there are 30 or more pickleball players who descend upon the Ritts Park courts every day. Some play as early as 8:30 a.m. Another group plays in the evening at 6:30 p.m. as the courts have lights.
The age of pickleball players at Ritts Park right now ranges from 12 through 78.
“The numbers simply grew by one person telling another person, who told another, and so on,” Pyle said. “Whole families started showing up.
“What used to be one tennis court has turned into four pickleball courts.”
Pickleball is played with a wooden or fiberglass paddle, a whiffle ball and a net much smaller than a regular tennis net. Singles or doubles matches can go on, and the playing surface is a quarter the size of a tennis court.
“You don't need much room to play or practice,” Archambault said. “I play pickleball in my driveway.”
“Four games of pickleball can be played at the same time on one tennis court,” Nancy Pugh of Butler said. “It's a great use of real estate.”
The pickleball gatherings at Ritts Park are friendly and encouraging. There is no league play involved.“If we're particularly crowded, a whistle blows after 12 minutes and everybody rotates,” Melann Markle of Cranberry Township said. “That's as organized as we get here.”Markle comes up from Cranberry twice a day to play pickleball at Ritts. Pickleball is also played at Graham Park in Cranberry.“You have to reserve your time to play at Graham Park. It's very structured,” Markle said. “I like how loose it feels up here. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming.“You play with different people, meet different people. The socialization and exercise are wonderful.”All part of Bullman's vision.“We all just work together to get play going, and Jeff has been great, a real asset to us,” Bullman said. “This is such a fun way to interact with others and make new friends.“We encourage beginners. People walk by while we're playing; we invite them in and put a paddle in their hands.”Archambault relishes the positive atmosphere.“The social value alone ... This is getting me through COVID,” she said. “I mean, what a fraternity it's growing into.”Players drive in from Chicora, East Brady, West Sunbury, Cranberry and Boyers, among other locations.Many of the players own their own pickleball nets. The first ones to arrive for the day of play set the nets up. The city painted the lines for the actual pickleball courts.Bullman said the city set up a Porta-John by the courts and took out a huge tree branch that used to hang over one of the courts.Smith's department is parks, recreation and public facilities.“Once I found out he was my contact to get work done at the park, I called him every day,” Bullman said. “I can be pretty persistent that way.”
Smith didn't mind at all.In fact, he quickly became an ally to the cause.“Jackie has been a pleasure to work with,” Smith said. “We recognize how much pickleball is growing in the area. We're painting some courts at Institute Hill Park. We've painted lines in place at Memorial Park.“Pickleball is an up and coming thing. These people are going to need places to play.”Smith and State Representative Marci Mustello have applied for a $150,000 grant through Greenways Rails to Trails. Part of that funding would go toward improving Ritts Park and the newly-developed pickleball facility.“We could resurface the courts and make them more even,” Smith said. “We may install permanent pickleball nets in there as well, though the players don't mind bringing their own.“Trails in the park could be extended ... A lot of general maintenance work can take place. In a sense, Ritts Park is being rejuvenated.”All because of pickleball.“This park used to resemble a ghost town,” Pugh said. “The property just wasn't being used for anything.“I come by here now; it's alive every morning.”
She added that “the game is played so fast, it promotes an active lifestyle. Tennis looks slow to me now.”Kay Heineman, 78, of Butler learned about pickleball while taking a yoga class at the Butler Family YMCA. She is a former tennis player.“This is what I do now,” Heineman said. “I feel like I'm getting exercise again. I've had a knee replacement and I can't run around like I used to. This game is a workout within a small space, and I feel safe when I'm playing.“Everyone is so welcoming. These people have become my second family. We get together off the court, too.”Bullman's vision is expanding these days.“I feel like we're just getting started,” she said. “Pickleball is addicting, but in a good way. A healthy mind is an active mind.”While pickleball is a viable activity for senior citizens, the game is proving to be attractive to families and kids as well.“I'm excited to see what this whole process will turn into,” Smith admitted. “This has the makings of a huge success story.”
