By T. Rob Brown
tbrown@joplinglobe.com
“This game is a Vlasic,” an excited Scotty McDowell yelled Thursday night as he swung a “diller.”
McDowell, of Joplin, and several other local residents experienced something new to the area: pickleball.
“It’s a new sport coming to the community,” said Doug Joyce, Joplin Parks and Recreation Department director. “I think it’s a wonderful game for all generations. We’ll see it in schools and taught in gymnasiums.”
The city department staged an open meeting Thursday night at Memorial Hall to discuss and demonstrate pickleball. The recreational sport resembles badminton, tennis and pingpong. Players use dillers (paddles) to knock a ball (similar to a whiffle ball) back and forth over a net in an attempt to be the first to score 11 points.
“We’re going to put in a couple of courts at Schifferdecker Park,” Joyce said. “They should be in play by spring — once we get that snow out of here.
“We need to paint some lines in. Tennis court lines are farther out. This is the same size as a volleyball court.”
Pat Lipira, with Missouri Southern State University’s kinesiology department, brought several physical education students along to help demonstrate the sport. MSSU students study the sport in one of Lipira’s classes.
“Everybody that plays it loves it,” Lipira said. “Once you get on the court, you want to play. I think it’ll be a hit.”
Rules for the game are set by the USA Pickleball Association. During the meeting, a video from the organization was shown.
“The best way to learn it is to play it,” Joyce told the crowd after the video.
Two of the attendees had previously played the sport.
“I’m originally from Spanaway Lake, a suburb of Tacoma, Wash.,” said Treven Davenport, of Joplin. “We played it there in high school PE. When you ask people around here, they think it’s a funny name, but don’t know what it is.”
“You don’t have to be an athletic person,” Joyce said.
“It’s awesome, pretty competitive and fun,” Davenport said.
Namesake
The sport reportedly is named after its creator’s dog, Pickles.
