Pickleball comes to Pacific Lakes Village
Pacific Lakes News
Pickleball, a cross between tennis, badminton, and table tennis, is proving popular with the residents of Pacific Lakes Village at Papamoa Beach in Mount Maunganui after a brand new outdoor court was completed in late March.
Played using paddles to hit a hollow plastic ball with holes, also known as a wiffle ball, over a net, it is relatively new to New Zealand. It can be played singles or doubles and is known for its easy-to-grasp rules and style for people of all ages, skill levels , and abilities. The court is smaller than in tennis and involves less running.
“Around 16 to 20 people from the village are already attending our pickleball meetings,” says Pacific Lakes Village resident Julie Hawkes.
“It’s early days, but everyone is coming along to learn the game, get some exercise, and have some fun and enjoyment.”
Julie is a squash player and has competed at a national level in the sport. But pickleball is a new game for Julie, and she says it’s easy to pick up – much more so than either squash or tennis.
“Everyone who has come along has been able to hit the ball and get started. We’re playing ten-minute games as people get used to it; we may start village competitions later.”
The game of pickleball was invented in 1965 in Washington, USA, by State Representative Joel Pritchard and businessman Bill Bell. It took off during the pandemic, and in 2023, for the fifth consecutive year, pickleball was ranked the fastest-growing sport in America. The Association of Pickleball Professionals claims that 48.3 million U.S. adults (19% of the adult population) had played the game at least once in the last 12 months to the end of 2023.
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