Pickleball Players on Staff

According to NPR, pickleball, which is “a quirky cross among tennis, ping pong, and badminton, played with a paddle and a perforated plastic ball,” is one of the fastest-growing sports in the US.  It was “invented in 1965 by three middle-aged fathers in Washington state [and the] founders are said to have named the game after a family dog called Pickles.”

Like any sport, it takes time and effort to learn, but it can be enjoyed for a lifetime. 

Physical education teacher Mrs. Linda Newsome and Dual enrollment English teacher Dr. Alex Bergren are avid players.

“It is a lifetime activity that you can enjoy with friends and family long after you leave high school,” said Newsome.

Bergren took up the sport during COVID.

“I have been a racquetball player for most of my life, and during COVID, when the rec centers closed, we lost access to the racquetball courts,” said Bergren. “My neighbor, who is the Director of Parks and Rec for Virginia Beach, bought a starter set of pickleball paddles and balls and invited us to try out the new courts they had installed at Lake Placid. We were just excited to get out of the house! So we taught ourselves the rules using YouTube, and I loved it from the start.” 

There are a number of local courts if you want to try out the sport, including Lake Placid, Bayside Rec Center, and RedWing Park.

Newsome started playing more pickleball in the summer of 2023 after joining a pickleball league. 

“I was a competitive tennis player and had a double knee replacement,” said Newsome. “Pickleball is easier on the body so when I was ready to get back on the court, I started with pickleball. It was just becoming popular and I thought I would give it a try. I played for a bit until I could get on the tennis court again. I went back to tennis and did not play pickleball again until this summer.”

Pickleball is a great way to meet new people and stay active. 

“Try it out, play it for fun,” said Bergren. “It’s a great way to meet people, and it’s a sport even people who are not natural athletes can enjoy. It’s truly a sport for everyone!”