ROANOKE, Va. – After a harrowing 2020, Trish Hammer’s home away from home at Claytor Lake was the ideal getaway.
But she couldn’t help but notice the lone tennis court that sat in the middle of the neighborhood.
“I probably drove past the score 10 or 15 times and saw women playing here,” Hammer said. “Each time I drove past, I said oh, I can do that. I think I can do that.”
An invite from an old friend put Trish playing on that very court.
But it wasn’t tennis. It was pickleball.
“The first couple times I actually knew that I would be able to do it and that I would be able to do it well, because it just takes really simple, very basic, hand-eye coordination, like that’s all that’s required to get you started.”
The small learning curve is a big part of why this sport has taken over. For the third year in a row, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, and it’s not slowing down.
Botetourt Golf and Swim General Manager Jeff Sprinkel saw the need for courts in Botetourt County and took the initiative to flip his old tennis courts.
He’s not the only one, the Roanoke Valley and beyond is catching on. You can find pickleball courts at Roanoke Country Club, Kirk Family YMCA, and Oakey Park in Salem. And as long as Roanoke Valley pickleball club Vice President Karen Crawford is around, you’re in good hands.
“They are always people out playing,” she said. “You don’t have to come with a partner camaraderie is fantastic. We have a great time together.”
I was told that if you can swat a fly, you can play pickleball. Well, I think they’re right. All you need is a paddle and a ball and that costs about $20. It really is that simple, too. I picked the game up in about 20 minutes and was playing doubles that evening.
According to gold medalist Dennis Neighbors, the inclusivity of the sport is its hallmark.
“Anybody can play it you can play it from, I think we have kids maybe eight years old and we’ve got people in their 80s playing,” he said. “Anybody can play, at any time, anywhere, at any level. There’s groups that play to be social, to be fun, and there’s people that play to be competitive, so whatever you’re looking for you can find it in pickleball.”
Hammer is now hoping to embark on her professional pickleball journey, as her competitive spirit grew in line with her skills. But what she found in the sport, was something she never knew she was searching for.
“I went through a really tough time in my personal life and having pickleball to focus on, having one point, and the next point, and the next point to focus, on actually kept me sane and had a lot to do with the person I am today.”