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Let the games begin: Foran students participating in the first Milford pickleball tournament on September 24 ,2022. Photo Courtesy: Jake Israelite.
By: Jake Israelite and Jack Beaupre, Staff Writer, Business Manager
Recently, pickleball has expanded not only in Milford, but around the world. Milford has added 19 pickleball courts and provides a league for all types of pickleball players of all ages.
This sport is never too late to start playing as 52 percent of the core pickleball players, people that play more than eight times a year, players are 55 or above years of age. While 79 percent of casual players, people that play less than eight times a year are below the age of 55, all according to Usapickleball.org.
Milford Recreation’s Department recreation supervisor Mike Dooling says, “Pickleball is one of the fastest if not the fastest growing sport in the country.”
In the last five years the number of people playing pickleball have doubled and there are currently 4.8 million people playing pickleball NPR.org states.
People play pickleball for many different reasons.
Dooling states, “People play for exercise, to meet new friends, and then there are those who play competitively. It is a sport that offers a lot for our community.”
Milford Recreation provides the community with the Milford Pickleball Association, a program for people who enjoy playing the sport, and meet Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday’s from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Eisenhower Park Pickleball courts. Anyone interested should join the league and start playing this rapidly growing sport that some of the best players in the world are static about.
Newest member to the pickleball world, Milford resident Nina Burke Schondelmeier. Schondelmeier states ¨ I signed up through Milford Rec to play indoors and showed up, never having played, and knowing no one! Testament to what great and kind pickleballers are!¨
Pickleball is played pretty much equally among genders, 53 percent among men and 47 percent among women. This is just another reason why pickleball is growing the way it is.
World record holder for the longest pickleball rally Aneglo Rossetti says, “Novice players can play with intermediate players and they will both have fun.”
With an easy to learn sport that is very inclusive, it is only now that it is blowing up. But even the more experienced players who have been playing for years can understand why people are now starting to pick up their racquets.
Kyle Yates, who was ranked number one in the World Pickleball Federation in 2018 says, “I started playing before anyone knew about it and now it’s blowing up. It’s on tv now, with celebrities playing. It is addictive, and an easy way to learn and play yet still challenging. It’s crazy to see it grow over the years.”
Milford has met the high demand for pickleball by adding 19 pickleball courts throughout the town; there are eight pickleball courts at Eisenhower Park, four courts at Point Beach located off Melba Street, two lined for pickleball at Fowler, four lined for pickleball Anderson Ave, one Tennis court, lined for pickleball as well at the West Shore Recreation Center.
With Rossetti calling pickleball “The game of all ages.” and Yates says, “Anyone can play with anybody.” It is clear why Milford has jumped on board to the expansion for the game of pickleball.
