By Rachel Wartian

Intern

Summer is a great time to get active and try new things, and a sport that helps do just that is growing in Suffolk.

The Western Tidewater pickleball community is building up teams to help local residents get into the sport and be physically and socially active, including a branch in Suffolk.

The pickleball craze started in Florida and is gaining popularity as it continues to spread across the country and into Suffolk. According to USAPA, the sport’s governing body, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport you have never heard of.

Pickleball is a sport that is a combination of tennis, ping-pong and badminton.

“It is like ping-pong and tennis had a baby, said Harry Cross, one of the leaders of the Western Tidewater pickleball community.

The game is played on indoor or outdoor tennis courts that have been marked down to about a third of the size. This same size court is used for both doubles and singles matches. Players use a pickleball paddle, which is usually a solid wooden paddle, to hit the ball. The ball used is a plastic perforated ball similar to a wiffle ball.

With a small court and a light ball, pickleball is not as hard on the body as other sports. Especially in doubles, the players do not have to run as fast or stop as hard as they would when playing tennis. This makes pickleball the ideal sport for anyone of any age who wants to get their cardio without the pain or stress on the body.

“Not only is there a physical benefit,” said Cross, “but there is a social benefit as well, as you have to opportunity to play with other people.”

No paddle skills are required when joining a pickleball league. Since there is still a difference from similar sports, a learning curve takes place for all first-timers. There are teams of various levels, making it easy for anyone interested to join in on the latest craze.

To join the pickleball community, email WTPickleBall@gmail.com to be put on the mailing list and be informed of open plays in the area. Open plays are held at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Suffolk Racket Club, 327 W. Constance Road.