Condo Media - September 2016 - 43

There are two urban legends that
address this. First, it is a game played
with four people often with a wide range
of ages and abilities. This reminds some
that a mixed rowing crew's boat is called
a pickle boat. More likely, it is the story
that the founder's dog was named Pickles and the dog kept running off with the
ball during the game's early days.
Currently there are more than
13,000 pickleball courts throughout
the United States with over 2.4 million
players, per the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. The game's popularity
in Maine is accelerating. This past
June, over 350 pickleball players from
around the country entered the Atlantic
Regional Pickleball Tournament at the
Portland Racket and Fitness Center
representing this 13-state region. The
Maine contingent had 130 players,
according to the USA Pickleball Association. It was the largest Maine racket
sport tournament ever held. The oldest
player was 84 and the youngest was 11.
The game is played on a 20-by-44foot court (or one-third the size of a
tennis court) with a 34-inch-high net
in the center sloping up to 36 inches
high at the sidelines. The solid paddle is
smaller than a tennis racket but bigger
than a Ping-Pong paddle. The original
paddles were solid wood but newer
ones are of composites or aluminum.
The ball is like a thick-skinned wiffle
ball with a top speed of less than onethird a tennis ball. So as not to sound
like an IKEA set of instructions, I will
be brief on the rules of the game.
The serve is underhanded and must
bounce once on both the serve and
return and then it only must be kept
in bounds. Balls returned without a
bounce (called a volley) must be at least
7 feet from the net to prevent spiking.
Typical games are played to 11 points,
and like most racket sports, a player
must win by 2 points. Points can only
be earned while serving. There is no
standard pickleball outfit-whatever is
comfortable.
So if you are the activities chairman
at the condo complex, the attractiveness
of the sport is not only can you set up

With aging boomers and knees
not being what they use to be,
the tennis-playing populations
of many condo complexes are
shrinking.
multiple pickleball courts on a standard
tennis court or even a hard grass court,
but also the equipment cost is minimal.
It can provide an excellent community
gathering event, and with a little effort,
leagues could be developed among
nearby condo communities. Many
schools and other institutions have been
known to provide their facility halls for
indoor games during the winter.
Of course, racket sports are not for everyone. So if you want to combine your

bowling and curling skills, there is always bocce ball. I'll leave those game and
court rules as a homework assignment
for the intrepid, but whatever you do, go
out and have some community fun.

n JACK CARR, P.E., RS, LEED-AP,
IS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT WITH
CRITERIUM-ENGINEERS IN
PORTLAND, MAINE.

www.hkinsurance.com

Expert focus on Value vs Price is our business.
Serving clients since 1961, we don't just duplicate your
policy - we work with you to make sure you're getting the
best value for your dollar. Listening, understanding,
and frequent reviews help us tailor the right coverage for
each association's specific insurance needs.
Give us a call, or visit our website today.

617-612-6504
Brendon Kilcoyne, CIC

brendonkilcoyne@hkinsurance.com

September 2016

43
Condo Media - September 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - September 2016
