Pickleball: An active, simple and social sport

As Mike Marnin took a swing at a loose ball, he looked over at the small crowd of folks waiting for their chance to play some pickleball, a sport that has grown rapidly around the United States and one that has made a mark among residents in Polson.

“The game is fun, social and it’s simple to play,” he said as he set his stance for another round.

Marnin is a Polson resident and a member of the city’s Parks and Tree board. He’s a fan of pickleball and has seen its continued growth in Polson with the addition of courts at O’Malley Park eight years ago.

The courts in Polson have not only helped host the Montana Senior Olympics pickleball contest, but they have also been the spot for many residents to have fun during morning and afternoon sessions scheduled all week. Courts are open for all skill levels from 8 a.m.- 12 p.m. Monday through Saturday with a shortened schedule on Sundays from 9-11 a.m.

Pickleball was created in 1965 in Bainbridge Island, Wash., and takes some inspiration from games like badminton and tennis. The major differences are the smaller court sizes, different equipment and slight rule changes.

The sport can be played one versus one or two versus two. Players typically play to a score of 11 but can only score on their serve. Much like tennis, this game counts scores after a bad serve, a double bounce, or a bounce that takes the ball out of the field of play. The major change is the addition of the “kitchen,” an area in front of the net that players cannot step in or serve.

This easy-to-learn activity has made waves in the past few years with just over 44,000 pickleball courts existing nationwide and around 4.8 million people playing the sport, according to a study done by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.

Polson has caught onto the fad as well with those like Marnin enjoying it while also encouraging others in the community to catch pickleball fever.

Mike and Yvonne Downs are St. George, Utah, residents who spend their summer months in Polson. They are also avid pickleball players, having started in 2017.

“You need a pair of gym shoes and a racket and a $2 ball,” Downs said. “So there isn't a real high barrier to be able to participate in the sport.”

He added that the other plus of the sport is its social aspect.“There’s a great community,” he said. “People are very friendly and engaged and you get to meet a bunch of new people.”

Yvonne was a global operations chief for the Futures division of New York Bank. After her retirement, she and her husband were living in Hawaii and looking for something fun to do that was active. That's when they found pickleball, a sport with simple rules and just enough activity to wear you out that was not too physically demanding.

“I'm the one who makes sure that everybody gets on court and gets off court and we keep it moving,” Yvonne said of her current role. “Kind of like in operations, just keep it moving.”

The Downs found Polson while trying to search for somewhere fun to spend their summers and luckily found a community of pickleball players to further encourage their interest.

“It's nice to play people who come and are aggressive at it, but it's also fun to play people who are just enjoying the sport and want to do it casually,” she said.

Go to www.pickleheads.com/courts/us/montana/polson/omalley-park to learn more about the courts and the pickleball community in Polson.