By Judi Klontz
On Saturday, August 10, 2019, National Pickleball Day was celebrated in Barriere.
Pickleball has only been played for nine months in Barriere, and those that play were keen to share the sport with members of the Lower North Thompson.
Susan Armstrong brought her mother, Debbie, and sons Robbie (11) and Julian (8) to The Ridge gymnasium this past Saturday to explore the game. They were not disappointed, as five regular players (Judi Klontz, Linda Ransome, Sue Black, Sue Syfchuck and Zelda Copley) were on hand to make all four welcome. It was obvious that Debbie and Susan had played racquet (badminton) sports before as they quickly caught onto the game.
I was amazed that both women adapted so quickly to calling out the correct score - one of the many difficult things to learn in Pickleball. They certainly would be most welcome to add to the numbers of the regular players in Barriere. Robbie definately held his own, and was able to return many of the balls fed to him. Julian did well with his hand eye coordination by bouncing the ball off the wall prior to slotting into a court to play.
After learning some of the rules of the game, and practice hitting the ball, a short break was taken with refreshments of cut oranges and lemon water before a few gentle games were played.
Copies of the play times and Pickleball rules were distributed (we still have copies of these if anyone is interested in obtaining a copy).
Overall, National Pickleball Day 2019 in Barriere was a success; four players were introduced to the game AND five regular players were able to get in a few games!
If you missed the day, don’t be discouraged, potential players or drop-ins to check out the game are welcome, Mondays 2-4 p.m., Tuesdays and Fridays 1-3 p.m. at The Ridge.