Pickleball the rage in Cranberry
CRANBERRY TWP — The growth of Cranberry Township over recent years has been well-documented.
The pickleball community there isn't just growing.
It's exploding.
Evidence of that was the first USA Pickleball North Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship, hosted by Graham Park and the Cranberry Township Pickleball Association (CTPA) during the weekend.
USA Pickleball used to have seven regionals throughout the country, including one Mid-Atlantic Regional covering 10 states. One only needed to register to participate.
“The demand to play was so great that they decided to split the Mid-Atlantic into two regionals this year,” said Bruce Mazzoni, CTPA administrator. “Our pickleball organization is the largest in the region, and we have an excellent facility here, so we were able to host the tournament.
“There are 485 players (ages 14 to 78) here. The event sold out in two weeks.”
Considered one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, pickleball combines the skills of tennis, ping-pong and badminton. Players in the regional — and tournaments in general — are placed in brackets based on age and skill level.Winners of each bracket at the Mid-Atlantic North Regional receive a “golden ticket” for the USA Pickleball Nationals in Indian Wells, Calif., in November.“About 90 players will get that golden ticket this weekend,” Terry Flynn, regional assistant director, said Saturday.“This is an easy sport to learn. It's a fun activity based on quick reaction. It's more active then tennis because play doesn't stop as much. There are long volleys.”The regional covered players from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, New York and New Jersey. But 30 states were represented overall, and the tournament was played on 19 courts.“You have to qualify for nationals through a regional, and people are willing to travel to do it,” Mazzoni said.Mars resident Chris Schueller, 52, is one such person. He went to Boston to compete in a 2019 regional and qualified for nationals in California that year.“I've been playing pickleball for three years,” Schueller said. “I observed the sport once, it looked like fun, so I decided to play.”Schueller has traveled to play in tournaments in Ohio, Florida, California, Virginia and New York.“I've always tried to stay physically active,” he said. “This can be competitive. It's gotten juices going in me that have been long dormant.“It's nice to have a tournament of this magnitude in our own backyard,” Schuller said.Indiana, Pa., resident Bill Reynolds calls pickleball “a fantastic activity.“The best way to enjoy life is to keep moving so you can stay healthy,” Reynolds said. “I've tried swimming laps in a pool ... It's boring. This is something I can play for the rest of my life. It's a social event as well.”
Jennifer Mendola, 52, is one of numerous CTPA members who volunteered to help work the tournament.“It's good exercise, and I've met so many good friends through pickleball,” she said. “There's no pressure. It's not cut-throat.“This is about community. I took the (CTPA) class to learn the game. It's a great workout.”Tommy Ross, 57, traveled from Philadelphia to play in the regional and was impressed by how smoothly it ran.“A lot of these tournaments fall behind schedule and you're forced to wait around to play,” Ross said. “This has stayed right on schedule.“It's such a special sport. I like tournaments because you can play singles. Most pickleball matches are doubles.”Fernando Esquivil, 53, of Collier Township in the South Hills, has been playing pickleball for four years. He plays in tournaments with his sons, ages 21 and 22.“Any sport where a father and son can play together, that's forming memories,” Esquivil said. “We've played in Nevada, Maryland, Florida ... It keeps you in shape, it's a physical and mental sport, and the pickleball community is as good as it gets.“These games can be demanding, they're intense ... But you're surrounded by good people. It's wonderful.”
Pickleball has the reputation of being a sport for older people. Mazzoni said that trend is changing as the CTPA keeps growing.The CTPA formed in 2018 with 210 members. It grew to 350 by the second year, 540 by 2020 and has 760 members now.“We're not taking any more members right now because we need to be able to provide adequate times and courts for everyone to play,” Mazzoni said. “Our association pays for and maintains these courts and keeps them at a high quality.“Our first year, 80% of our membership was over 40. Now 60% of our membership is under 40. Pickleball has become very popular with younger people.”Mazzoni added that Graham Park will likely host the North Mid-Atlantic Regional again in 2022.“Then they plan to rotate it around to other states,” he said. “But we'll be available to offer help in how to do it.“Our blueprint here is definitely working,” Mazzoni said.
