STURBRIDGE, Mass. – Marcia Waterman of Holland held her flat paddle in front of her like a skillet. 

“Zero-zero-one!” she called, tossing a yellow, perforated plastic ball in the air. As it came down, she cocked the paddle back and with a forward bowling motion came a POP! She smacked the ball over the 34-in. net.

But Waterman was not playing tennis. Nor badminton. It was not Wiffle Ball, racket ball, paddle ball or ping pong, either. This is pickleball, one of the fastest growing sports in Central Mass.

Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. The three men wanted something to keep their kids occupied during the summer, so they improvised on an old badminton court with ping-pong paddles and a plastic ball. Since then, pickleball has evolved from the original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport throughout North America. The game is growing internationally as well, with many European and Asian countries adding courts. And if you look very carefully, you may spot some pickleball courts throughout Central Mass.

Brian Friedmann and Linda Simpson recently established the sport in Sturbridge back in March. He now has more than a hundred members on the Sturbridge Pickleball mailing list with 35 to 40 active players. They play both inside and outdoors between the months of April and October. The group meets regularly at Cedar Lake Recreation Area Courts in Sturbridge where they play on four courts with night lighting, portable nets and balls. Indoor play is also available at the Southbridge YMCA.

Friedmann said the sport is easy to learn and appeals to players of all ages for various reasons.

“The game is very social and inviting at any skill level,” he said. “First-timers make quick progress. Anyone with prior tennis, racquetball, or badminton experience develops especially quickly… It’s been widely adopted by seniors but all age groups are involved. The only equipment you need is a paddle and balls and a place to play. It’s easy for players who travel; [just] pack your paddle and a few balls.”

More Pickleball players in Sturbridge. Photo by Kevin Paul Saleeba.

Pickleball is traditionally played in doubles and singles on a 44-by-20-foot badminton size court. The game is simple: Each player or team has a paddle and uses it to hit the ball back and forth over the net. Serves must be underhand and cross court, as demonstrated by Waterman. The returning team can hit the ball back once the ball bounces to start a back-and-forth volley. The ball is only allowed to bounce once per side, and players can only score one point at a time. Games are typically decided when a team or an individual player scores eleven points first. 

“We laugh our heads off,” said Shelley K. of Sturbridge. “We do get competitive, but we love the social aspect. It’s tons of fun.”

Shelley loved the game so much, that she and her husband Howard built their own pickleball court in their backyard.

“We play with family and friends,” she said. “We both just got hooked, so why not build a court?”

Friedmann said Sturbridge Pickleball started with a small group playing at a private court.

“It grew from the small group of twelve to the current 124 members,” he said. “For the first couple of years, we would either chalk or tape temporary lines on the tennis courts to use with our portable nets.”

The Sturbridge Recreation Department agreed to paint lines for two courts on one of the tennis courts. 

The players acknowledged the quirkiness of the names and rules involved, but they say it simply adds to pickleball’s charm.

“It’s played on a smaller court, half a tennis court,” he said. “There’s not that much ground to cover, especially as we usually play doubles. Great for seniors but intense play for advanced players of any age.”

Waterman said she learned about the Sturbridge group from a flyer at the supermarket.

Marcia Waterman of Holland makes a shot during a recent Pickleball game in Sturbridge. Photo by Kevin Paul Saleeba.

“I saw the sign-up sheet posted, and I just ripped off the tag and contacted the group and started playing,” she said. “That was it.”

Sturbridge pickleball is played on Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. at the Sturbridge Recreation Area courts on Cedar Pond Drive. All skill levels are welcome. Newcomers will get free instruction and loaner paddles. All are encouraged to bring a chair, water and a hat.

Visit their website temporarily at https://bfriedmann.com/sturbridgepickleball/index.html and eventually at www.sturbridgepickleball.org for additional information, including games at the Southbridge YMCA. Any inquiries can be made to Sturbridgepickleball@gmail.com.