Pickleball Proliferates in Ponca City

This year marks the 55th anniversary of the fastest growing sport in the U.S. with the most unusual name, and it’s being played right here in Ponca City. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Tuesdays beginning at 6 p.m. people of all ages can be found playing pickleball at the RecPlex. The Pickleball of Ponca City group boasts an age range of 17 to 74 years old. Nathalia Hiatt, an ambassador for watching it on YouTube, and within an hour had ordered a pickleball set and began playing at home. It wasn’t long before a group formed to play regularly at Unity Gym, where the City of Ponca City allowed them to play for free. During the spring and fall, the Parks and Recreation Department would help host tournaments, inviting smaller communities like Stillwater and Arkansas City to participate. ism, because they bring people to hotels, restaurants, and shopping. Currently, the Ponca City group has approximately 25 members and is not large enough to be a league. However, that does not inhibit this group’s enthusiasm. David Nelsen and his wife, Mel, belong to a league in Wichita, Kansas, but enjoy playing in Ponca City. incorporated the stripes for Pickleball. Previously the players had to lay down tape to mark the game’s boundaries. The RecPlex also provides the nets, balls, and paddles. Hiatt and all the Pickleball of Ponca City players invite everyone to come join the fun. For more information call (580) 716-1237. Rather than shaking hands, pickle the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA), describes the game as addictive, saying, “You’ll enjoy it so much, you’ll laugh so hard, you’ll get a good ab workout.” Eric Newell, Director of Parks and Recreation, being very supportive of pickleball, felt a move to the RecPlex would be in the group’s best interest. Hiatt said, “He knew that being here would be better for us because we Nelsen said, “This is home and this is recreational. The league is much more competitive. This is kind of relaxed, easy. No one’s trying to kill it all the time.” ballplayers touch the butts of their racquets as a gesture of good sportsmanship. Pictured clockwise are Mel Nelsen, John Varee, Jesse Aranda and Sherri Tate. What makes this game so unusual and so addictive? It’s a cross between tennis and ping pong and is played with a net, ball, and paddle on a badare visible to the community. We have acquired a lot of new players because we have moved here.” The group’s youngest member is 17-year-old Evan Smith. Smith is a seminton-size court. The ball is similar to a wiffle ball, and does not bounce as much as a tennis ball. The paddle is larger than a ping pong paddle, yet smaller than a tennis racquet. The smaller court, design of the paddle, and the less bouncy ball allows for more accuracy, keeping the ball in play There are no dues or fees to join the Pickleball of Ponca City group. The only cost is a membership or day fee at the RecPlex. Rules of the game, places to play, and equipment can be purchased at the USAPA website, www.usapa.org. or at Ponca City High School and is on the varsity tennis team. While playing basketball with his brother at the RecPlex one day, he saw the game of pickleball being played and decided to give it a try. Now he uses more. Six years ago a friend of Hiatt’s returned from a road trip with stories of a game that was being played at RV parks across the country. Hiatt began Places to Play is an app that shows all the locations across the country where pickleball is played. Information on the app includes town, what days, hours, cost, and skill level. The app draws traveling pickleball play his free time during the 2nd period on most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to go to the RecPlex and play. He said, “I enjoy playing it, and since it’s a lot like ten24 April 2020