Dennis Block of Massena, left, and Marty Andrews of Potsdam are among the participants of the Pickleball Shootout at St. Lawrence Centre in Massena on Saturday, Feb. 15. NCNow photo by Cheryl Shumway.
BY CHERYL SHUMWAY
North Country This Week
MASSENA — Pickleball is a real sport, and it is growing in the North Country.
A “Pickleball Shootout” was held recently in St. Lawrence Centre. The sport is taking hold in Canton, Potsdam and Ogdensburg, as well as in Massena.
“I love pickleball. It’s addictive. You can learn the skills on YouTube. It’s fast paced. It is for all ages,” said Dennis Block, Massena, during a break at the shootout.
“I am having too much fun playing pickleball. It’s a fun group to play with,” said Dave Dunn, Hammond, another participant at the shootout.
“Think of it as table tennis meets traditional tennis meets badminton. You have a net, a court, paddles, and a lightweight ball (similar to a whiffle ball). Players can face off as singles or doubles, just as in traditional tennis,” says Massena Recreation’s Facebook page.
“We have pickleball in the Massena Arena starting mid-April and ending at the end of September,” said Mike McCabe, Massena Recreation Director.
Last year the Massena arena had pickleball on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 9:30 a.m. during the summer, and then twice a week in the evening after school started.
“We also do have pickleball lines at Alcoa Field, though we are looking to redo our courts there at some point this summer,” said McCabe.
Canton has three outdoor courts used for pickleball from May-September at Priest Field, behind the Social Services building on Judson Street, sponsored by the Canton Recreation Department. “Pickleball is an exciting game and well-suited for seniors. It is an easy game to learn, especially if you have played any other racket sports,” said Canton organizer Mary Ann Axtell. “I learned to play the game in Florida. I took the bull by the horns to get the sport in Canton,” she said.
SUNY Potsdam Director of Intramurals and Recreation, William Beauchamp, said,
“In the Maxcy Hall field house, there is one court that a group of Maxcy members have been using a few times a week. Maxcy Hall also has an outside pickleball court on the tennis court.”
Potsdam Recreation Program has some temporary recreational nets and paddles used in their summer recreation program the past two years, but no permanent setup. Mike McCabe, recreation director, said there had been plans to place a court in the parking lot, but “the discussions have stalled as we survey the lot. We are in definitely in need of paving the entire lot. Once we have outlined all the safety concerns concerning the lot, we are hoping we can make some progress.”
The St. Lawrence Centre mall opened the Pickleball Zone a few months ago near JCPenney store. It has three courts, and paddles and balls are available to borrow. It is $5 per player.
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