Dink, volley, blast and get out of the kitchen!
Unless you’re a pickleball player, those words sound like gibberish. However, pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America, so that terminology won’t sound so outlandish for long.
Pickleball came to Grove City in 2019, with a few residents gathering on the Windsor Park tennis courts, drawing pickleball court lines in chalk and setting up portable nets so they could play.
“For a while, they played that way. Every time when they came out, they would have to get the nets out of their car and set them up. And it was really a hassle,” says Bob Mazzola, Grove City resident and pickleball player. “So that’s about the time I got involved. I said, ‘Well, jeez, guys, we should have permanent courts here.’”
Mazzola wrote a letter to the mayor petitioning for pickleball courts, and Mayor Ike Stage passed the letter on to the Grove City Parks and Recreation Department where it fell into the hands of Kim Conrad, director of the department.
“It was something that (the city) wanted,” she says, “but having the driving force of folks behind us really helped to bring the pickleball courts to the community.”
Grove City pickleball players advocated for their sport, showing up to city council meetings, finding funding and drawing up plans to share with the parks department. Sure enough, the 2020 budget approved the pickleball courts and by fall, players had a place of their own.
Kim Conrad receiving award from Bob Mazzola at the opening ceremony in mid-October 2020.
“Oct. 17, we opened the courts. Six beautiful outdoor pickleball courts, the best in the area,” says Mazzola. “Each court is individually fenced. Before, on the tennis courts, if someone missed a shot, you’d have to run over three courts to get the ball, but in these fenced-in courts, you never walk more than a couple of feet. So, you’re spending more time playing and the courts are beautiful.”
Many families began playing when the courts opened.
"I started playing pickleball with my family in the beginning of October," says Connor Chaffin. "We had some family in town that thought it would be fun to check out. We have been hooked ever since."
The pickleball community continues to grow, from the original few play ers to now more than 300 people who have joined the Grove City Pickleball Community Facebook page. People’s love for the sport was especially evident this winter when the courts were constantly full of players despite chilly temperatures.
“I was out there in November. It was probably in the 40s and I walked around Windsor Park,” says Mazzola. “Nobody in the baseball field. Nobody in the tennis courts. Nobody in the basketball area. But the pickleball courts – there were 30 people at the pickleball courts!”
The city noticed the growing community involvement in the once little-known sport and has big plans for their pickleball players, including new outdoor lighting fixtures for the courts which were approved in the 2021 budget.
“We’re hoping that this is the first of several pickleball areas in the city,” says Conrad.
Play Nice
One of the reasons pickleball is gaining such swift popularity as a sport is that it’s easy to pick up, it doesn’t require expensive equipment and anyone can learn to play.
“It’s really not easy to play, but it’s easy to pick up and it doesn’t cost a lot of money,” says Conrad. “I think it’s a good source of fitness for a lot of people. And people really seem to enjoy it.”
“Anybody can do it,” adds Mazzola. “If you’re very skilled or not, you can have fun doing it. It’s like a mix between ping pong and tennis. But if you can play ping pong, you can play pickleball.”
The Grove City pickleball group is proof that anybody can do it – the players range in ages from 10 years old to over 80.
“We are fortunate to have (young people) join us as often as they can,” says James Hastrich, a pickleball player. “I admire everyone in our group for welcoming them all and not discriminating them because of their age and size.”
From brand new players to those with years of experience, the Grove City pickleball players will extend their paddles to anyone.
“No matter your (skill) level, there are people in Grove City willing to be your partner and help you with your game,” says Meredith Ervin, another community pickleball player.
The community of players is not only active on the courts, but in each other’s lives. Mazzola says players took extra care when the pandemic hit, wearing gloves to play, keeping the court gates open to minimize contact and, of course, maintaining social distance.
The pandemic certainly did little to damper people’s passion for pickleball, and Mazzola says he knew players who brought shovels to the courts in December when it snowed.
“It’s a real hearty group,” says Mazzola.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the pickleball preoccupation, though, is the sense of community that grew around it.
"I think that people should know that if they do come out that they are always welcome," says Chaffin. "There are people of all skills and ages, and you will surely never feel like an outsider."
“Here, everyone is welcome,” adds Mazzola. “It doesn’t matter what you know, if you’re male or female or old or young. If you want to play, come out and have a good time with us.”
Meet the people who started the pickleball movement in Grove City.
Sarah Robinson is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
