The Monroe County Sports Commission hosted the third annual PickleFest last month, with 110 players descending on the six new courts at Ontario State Beach Park to take part in the event. Competitors from as far as Maryland gathered for the weekend competition to play in singles and doubles tournaments of a sport rapidly gaining popularity in upstate New York: Pickleball.
About three-and-a-half years ago Dave Thomas walked into his local YMCA and saw a group of people playing pickleball. Thomas (a retired physical education teacher in Greece of over 20 years who now serves as the recreation supervisor for the town of Riga) had taught the sport in his classes, but this was the first time he has seen anyone in the area playing an organized game. The sport had apparently been gaining popularity in the northern half of the country after being a common sport in the southern states for many years and before he knew it, he became the area’s main ambassador of the sport.
“After I became the contact person for the area I started receiving e-mails from people who played down south while living there for the winter and were interested in playing here in the summer months,” said Thomas. “When we started there were only two courts in the area and seven people on the e-mail list. Now there are almost 70 courts in the area and almost 500 people on the list.”
Played on a 20’x44’ court in a similar fashion to tennis and badmiton, pickleball is also known as “maxi-table tennis” or “mini-tennis”. Most of the courts in the Rochester area were orignally shared with tennis players, with the lines for pickleball drawn over the tennis lines. The game is played in singles or doubles format on a hard court with a paddle about double the size of a ping pong paddle and a hard plastic whiffle ball. The court is lined like tennis minus the alleys with serves played to the diagonal box as well. Players must remain at least seven feet away from the net at all times (out of an area known as ‘the kitchen’) unless returning a ball than has bounced within that space, and serves must be underhand. Games are to 11 with points only earned when serving. The speed of the game is about one-third as slow as tennis, making the game fun for players of all ages and skills but by no means any less challenging.
The Monroe County Sports Commission hosted the third annual PickleFest last month, with 110 players descending on the six new courts at Ontario State Beach Park to take part in the event. Competitors from as far as Maryland gathered for the weekend competition to play in singles and doubles tournaments of a sport rapidly gaining popularity in upstate New York: Pickleball.
About three-and-a-half years ago Dave Thomas walked into his local YMCA and saw a group of people playing pickleball. Thomas (a retired physical education teacher in Greece of over 20 years who now serves as the recreation supervisor for the town of Riga) had taught the sport in his classes, but this was the first time he has seen anyone in the area playing an organized game. The sport had apparently been gaining popularity in the northern half of the country after being a common sport in the southern states for many years and before he knew it, he became the area’s main ambassador of the sport.
“After I became the contact person for the area I started receiving e-mails from people who played down south while living there for the winter and were interested in playing here in the summer months,” said Thomas. “When we started there were only two courts in the area and seven people on the e-mail list. Now there are almost 70 courts in the area and almost 500 people on the list.”
Played on a 20’x44’ court in a similar fashion to tennis and badmiton, pickleball is also known as “maxi-table tennis” or “mini-tennis”. Most of the courts in the Rochester area were orignally shared with tennis players, with the lines for pickleball drawn over the tennis lines. The game is played in singles or doubles format on a hard court with a paddle about double the size of a ping pong paddle and a hard plastic whiffle ball. The court is lined like tennis minus the alleys with serves played to the diagonal box as well. Players must remain at least seven feet away from the net at all times (out of an area known as ‘the kitchen’) unless returning a ball than has bounced within that space, and serves must be underhand. Games are to 11 with points only earned when serving. The speed of the game is about one-third as slow as tennis, making the game fun for players of all ages and skills but by no means any less challenging.
When the inaugural PickleFest was held, 52 players took part. The number grew to 92 the following year, with an all-time best of 110 players this past July. This year’s tournament was one of the sport’s premier outdoor events on some of the best courts in the state, less than four years after its introduction to the area. Rochester-area players have already made a name for themselves, by competing at the highest level in multiple age groups, with players participating in the national tournament in Arizona as well as winning multiple medals in the Empire State Senior Games.
Many towns in the area now have pickleball friendly courts, including Churchville, Ogden, Irondequoit, Penfield, Webster, Irondequoit, Henrietta and Brighton, along with new courts opening soon in Greece. Truly a game for all ages the sport offers a test of both one’s physical and mental health as players are forced to quickly calculate angles and velocity in a fast-paced, athletic environment.
“The game is fun for everyone,” said pickleball enthusiast Joyce Hentzel, who along with her husband, Richard, picked up the game in Florida and play at Webster Park in the summer. “It is a great way to meet new people, get out and get some exercise.”
With no official leagues most pickleball games are pick-up, with times and locations varying. For information about pickleball games in your area contact Dave Thomas at rigarec@townofriga.com.
PickleFest III Results
Ladies: OPEN Singles - Gold: Carah Taylor, Silver: Shannon Holmes, Bronze: Marissa Woodruff; GRANDMASTERS Singles - Gold: Meg Krenzer, Silver: Helena Holmes, Bronze: Claire Drexl; OPEN Doubles - Gold: Jenny Hubbard/Cynthia Proper, Silver: Karen Lada/Kimberly Shew, Bronze: Gale Bagwell/Tricia Pilato; GRANDMASTERS Doubles - Gold: Meg Krenzer/Karen Lada, Silver: Helena Holmes/Cathy Vaughan, Bronze: Wendy Cooper/Anne Pepe; SENIOR GRANDMASTERS Doubles - Gold: Ann Henry/Ruth Lampert, Silver: Mary Ann Linder/Carole Roth, Bronze: Martha Burgess/Pat Danaher; LEGENDS Doubles: Gold: Martha Burgess/Pat Danaher.
Men’s: OPEN Singles - Gold: Joe Valenti, Silver: Scott Lipitz, Bronze: Josh Baker; GRANDMASTERS Singles - Gold: Duane Fregoe, Silver: Dan Curry, Bronze: Brian Balandis; SENIOR GRANDMASTERS - Gold: Craig Lahr, Silver: Ron Garwood, Bronze: Larry Reinhardt; LEGENDS Singles - Gold: Larry Stiner, Silver: Dick Seils, Bronze: Patrick Hotchkiss; OPEN Doubles - Gold: Dan Curry/Eli Mantell, Silver: Josh Gleason/Eric Kennedy, Bronze: Scott Lipitz/Dave Mitchell; GRANDMASTERS DOUBLES - Gold: Tom Donnelly/Daryel Jenks, Silver: Jorge Chavez/Paul Holmes, Bronze: Mickey Helmick/Mitch Berger; GRANDMASTERS DOUBLES - Gold: Duane Fregoe/Dave Mantell, Silver: Dave Baker/Dan Curry, Bronze: Jorge Chavez/Rich Kearney; SENIOR GRANDMASTERS (I) - Gold: George Fairfax/Craig Lahr, Silver: Joe Roth/Dick Seils, Bronze: Ron Garwood/Larry Reinhardt; SENIOR GRANDMASTERS (II) - Gold: Randy Chamberlain/Rich Cowley, Silver: Walt Meyer/Larry Stiner, Bronze: Brian Bowman/Bob Eney; LEGENDS Doubles - Gold: Sam Cialdella/Dick Seils, Silver: Phil Coburn/John Gardner, Bronze: Patrick Hotchkiss/Bill McCullough.
Mixed Doubles: OPEN - Gold: Cara Calvelli/Scott Lipitz, Silver: Meg Krenzer/Joe Valenti, Bronze: Jody Sokol/Eric Kennedy; GRANDMASTERS - Gold: Karen Lada/Duane Fregoe, Silver: Meg Krenzer/Craig Lahr, Bronze: Anne Pepe/Dan Curry; SENIOR GRANDMASTERS (I) - Gold: Carole Roth/Joe Roth, Silver: Susan Heiss/George Fairfax, Bronze: Pat Sotak/Larry Reinhardt; SENIOR GRANDMASTERS (II) - Gold: Marry Ann Linder/Ron Garwood, Silver: Ann Henry/Patrick Hotchkiss, Bronze: Barbara Thulin/Dick Seils; LEGENDS - Gold: Pat Bradford/John Gardner, Silver: Mary Lou Teumer/Dick Seils, Bronze: Carol Brakenbury/Brian Leavy.
