There’s a new sports activity in Greenhead Park from now until the autumn and it’s called pickleball. A racket ball game, it’s said to be one of the fastest growing sports on the planet.
Pickleball was invented in 1965 in Washington DC and there are now 4.8 million people playing the sport in the United States today.
Roger Wigram, who has brought pickleball to Huddersfield, said: “We had an excellent launch at Greenhead Park, with about 26 people of all abilities coming along to play the game. Nine of those people had never played the sport before.”
Two or four players can take part in a game of pickleball at the same time. Players move around on a court which is the same size as a badminton court.
Players use paddles similar to those used in table tennis to strike a ball which can have 26-40 holes in it. This means the ball moves more slowly. Players hit the ball over a net which is similar to a tennis net. The game is played at a slower pace to tennis and is less strenuous on the body.
Roger added: “We were fortunate enough to have a representative from Pickleball England come along to support the launch and to coach the ‘beginners’ – which was much appreciated.
“Hopefully, with all the enthusiasm that was shown, and with the commitment, both financially and emotionally from a few individuals, we will now get the great game of pickleball off the ground at Greenhead Park, and that the people of Huddersfield will take up the cudgel and make use of the facility they have been given.
“The opportunity is there for anyone interested in learning about the game to attend one of the Thursday morning 10am ‘introductory’ sessions, that will be manned by volunteers throughout the summer. It’s completely free to come and play and get some exercise in the fresh air.”
If you are interested in learning more about the sport then why not head along to Greenhead Park tennis courts 1,2 and 3 at 10am on Thursday?
