This sport is pickleball and has seen rapidly growing numbers across Australia.
Pickleball Association Australia executive officer Brendan Lee will be visiting Deniliquin on Friday, December 6.
He will visit Deniliquin High School and the Deniliquin Lawn Tennis Club’s Pickleball Christmas Bash next Friday to gauge local interest in the sport.
Pickleball has also started at the Deniliquin Stadium on Tuesday nights, with games starting at 7pm.
There are no fees to play pickleball until after Christmas and no need to pre-book.
Players welcome to visit the stadium on Tuesdays and give it a go.
“The game has been very prominent along the east coast of the country, but until 2024 it hadn’t really ventured inland,” Lee said.
“But the game is growing in places such as Wagga, Orange, Goulburn, Dubbo and Albury/Wodonga.
“It’s simple to learn and a great game for all ages.
“It’s an accessible and inclusive sport for the whole family, grandparents to grandkids can play together with minimal skills required to play and have success.”
“The growth of the game even in the last year for the Pickleball Association Australia has been significant. It’s really exciting with a huge uptake of the sport.
“We currently have over 15, 000 financial members, around double the 7000 members we had this time last year, and we estimate in total around 93,000 people are playing casually nationwide.”
“We’ve also gone from 114 to 256 affiliated clubs around Australia due to the tremendous efforts of our great volunteer base and volunteer army.”
Pickleball is a paddle and ball sport with a perfect balance of court dimensions, rules and equipment to afford all skill levels and age groups.
It is often explained as a hybrid of tennis, badminton and table tennis.
It is played on a badminton-sized court with a net, but involves less running than tennis.
Using a paddle and plastic wiffle ball, the game is a combination of tactical shots, patience, and easy to learn strokes.
Lee said he would love to see Deniliquin get involved in the sport.
“Hopefully it can reinvigorate clubs and player numbers alongside tennis and other sports,” he said.
“Next Friday will be exhibition event, and will give people a look at an alternate sport that’s pretty adaptable. It’s best played on a hard surface, indoors or outdoors.
“Hopefully, they (locals) can discover the sport. We’ve still got a long way to go to touch all the potential in pickleball.”
If you’re interested in attending the come and try exhibition at the Deniliquin Lawn Tennis Club next Friday, is will be held at the Charlotte St courts from 6pm for 6.30pm start.
As the club;s Christmas party, a barbecue dinner will be available for $10 per adult. Children under 18 can attend for free.
For catering purposes, RSVP by tomorrow to Harley on 0418 812 797 or email denitennisclub@gmail.com.
For more information about pickleball in Australia, go to www.pickleballaus.org.
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