I was in the Saunders & Associates office in Bridgehampton walking by real estate agent Drew Green’s desk and noticed that he was watching a youtube video entitled, “How to play pickleball”. His back was straight, his eyes were focuses, he was zeroed in.
Pickleball is life.
“Drew what’s with the pickleball?”
“Oh Dave, it’s a great game, we play it at SYS, it’ really catching on.”
I’ve played a few rounds of golf with Drew, he’s a former college football player, he’s a tennis player and a lifetime athlete. If HE’S into pickleball, then it must be one hell of a game.
“It’s a hell of a game,” Drew laughed.
For me, I can’t handle the name “pickleball. As I type this article, I am smiling, but Drew Green isn’t the only one that has pickle ballfever. Apparently it’s taking over the country and all over the office at Saunders.
On March 20th, CNN.com ran a story called, “The sport with the funny name that’s sweeping America.” I read it and learned that the sport was started by three father’s looking to keep their kids entertained, and that the sport now has 5 million people playing it and has had an increase of 40 percent participation rate. Football is out, pickleball is in.
In the Hamptons, there are a lot places that you can play, including East Hampton Indoor Tennis, Sportime in Amagansett and what seems to be growing in popularity, the pickleball games that are organized at SYS in Southampton where there are 5 lined courts inside their rink and members are allowed to use them whenever they are available. But you better start going now and claim your space, because pretty soon pickleball courts will have waiting lists with the way the game is growing.