Players hope for new courts as pickleball's popularity grows in Aberdeen

About a year after work on new pickleball courts at Manor Park was finished, the sport's popularity is on the rise in Aberdeen.

It’s the fastest growing activity in the country, according to those close to the sport and numerous online reports.

Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton. The sport is played on a court similar to a tennis court, however the court is smaller and the net lower.

“It’s exploded, plus more and more have heard about it and are becoming interested in it,” said Colette Quam, who is active in the local pickleball community. “I think, actually, here in Aberdeen, we might even be a little bit behind where other parts of the country (are) … I hear stories of as many as 200 people showing up on a 30-court complex and people are waiting in line to play in other parts of the world. So it’s very popular.”

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Options for Aberdeen pickleball players

There are a number of opportunities to play the sport in Aberdeen.

Inside the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Recreational Center, 1620 Milwaukee Ave., there are two marked courts, according to Jody Parsons, a local pickleball player. Matchbox Sport Recreation Center, 110 Centennial St., has three marked courts, and there are four at the Aberdeen Family YMCA, 5 S. State St. Use of the YMCA and Matchbox courts requires either membership or a day pass.

At Manor Park, there are three dedicated outdoor courts with an extra court that is also used for basketball. There are also marked courts at Holgate Middle School.

Adding the courts at Manor Park cost $203,000, of which $88,000 was covered by a National Park Service grant.

More: Pickleball courts at Manor Park are ready for play

Local players would like to see more courts

Local players say there’s a need for more sports.

“I think for Aberdeen being the third-largest town (in South Dakota), I think we are so far behind in the pickleball sport,” Parsons said. “It’s nice what we have, but we’d like to have some more.”

Plans were in place for six pickleball courts at Manor Park, according to Aberdeen Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Mark Hoven. There are still plans to add three more, but that money is not in the 2022 budget, he said.

“For (pickleball) to grow even more, and I’m sure it will, we need more outdoor courts,” Quam said.

That said, the outdoor courts have already made players happy.

“They’re really nice courts. (We’re) pretty happy with it for the most part,” Brian Schumacher said.

Schumacher, who plays in Aberdeen, discovered the sport while wintering in Arizona.

“A friend down there said ‘Oh, you should try this,’ so I did and that’s been a blast … And then, thankfully, when we got back here, one of one my old high school classmates said, ‘We play pickleball over at the Matchbox, you should come and play there,’” Schumacher said.

Most players in Aberdeen are 50 and older and are often retired. But, younger people are also being introduced to the sport and are taught in gym class. Quam, who taught at Roncalli for 33 years, remembers teaching the sport even back in the 1980s.

More: Pickleball: What you need to know about the fastest growing sport in the U.S.

Taught in gym class, but not just for kids

It wasn’t until six years ago that she realized the sport was for her. That was after a clinic at the YMCA.

“I just didn’t view (pickleball) as anything other than something little kids did in gym class,” Quam said. “After a clinic with a guy from Pierre, it was like, ‘Wow, this is a lot of fun,’ and our numbers just continued to grow.”

Most groups play in the mornings, which conflicts with the work schedules of younger people. There are different groups that play competitively and recreationally.

“I know there’s a move in younger ages to play, too,” Quam said.

She is among the competitive players. She, Mark Zerr and Loren Locken qualified for and played in the National Senior Games in Florida last year. Quam and Zerr played mixed doubles and placed ninth out of 44 teams. Zerr and Locken played men's doubles.

“(We) got to play people from other states, and it was really fun,” Quam said.

More: Pickleball Points: How did this crazy sport get started?

Senior games start Thursday, include pickleball

The local Senior Games will be in Aberdeen Thursday through Saturday. Pickleball is one of the events. Others include bowling, golf, bean bag toss, basketball, whist, pool and track and field. Anyone over the age of 50 can participate, but pre-registration ended on July 1.

The South Dakota Senior Games are Sept. 8-11 in Watertown. That is an annual event, while the national competition is ever two years. Athletes who medal in the state games this year will qualify for the 2023 nationals.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Pickleball continues to grow in Aberdeen, South Dakota