Pickleball

Fun sport a blend of badminton, Ping-Pong and tennis

Second chances don't come often, and I had waited for this one for 10 years.

Melissa Haneline
The Post and Courier

The Post and Courier reporter Diette Courrégé reacts to making a wild shot that went out of bounds during a pickleball game at Trident Academy.

It was my second shot at pickleball glory, and all that was between me and the pickleball championship T-shirt I had wanted for more than a decade was Matt Cloer, a 15-year-old high school freshman at Trident Academy whom I knew I could beat.

Pickleball is a sport that's a combination of badminton, Ping-Pong and tennis. Pickles aren't involved in the game, other than making its name fun to say.

This championship game was sure to be a lesson in humiliation for Matt. Poor guy. He had no concept of my pickleball prowess.

He didn't know that nearly 10 years ago as a high school senior, I made it to the championship game in my P.E. class at St. Joseph's Academy in Baton Rouge, La. The winner of the annual pickleball tournament would get bragging rights, but more importantly, a green pickleball championship T-shirt. It pictured a pickle with a hair bow, arms and legs holding a racket. I can't explain why, but that shirt was among the most prized trophies for seniors. Or maybe it was just me.

Regardless, my high school pickleball partner and I were a strong pair, but we couldn't pull off the big win in our class championship game. One of our opponents was the star of the school's tennis team, which made me feel a little better about the heartbreaking loss.

Time lessened the pain of that day, but not my desire for one of those championship T-shirts. Pathetic? Perhaps. Whatever.

Video

Diette Courrégé attempts to relive her childhood pickleball glory days by taking on a student at Trident Academy Watch »

Fast forward to now. Trident Academy Athletic Director Travis Whetzel bought the equipment to do a pickleball unit after I told him last summer about how much fun it was. We agreed that I would challenge his class tournament's winner for the title of pickleball champion and for the much-sought-after T-shirt.

Matt had an 11-0 record going into our game, and he had allowed only 19 points to be scored on him. Big deal. I learned how to play this game when Matt was in kindergarten. I had time and experience on my side. Never mind that the pickleball practice session I had the prior weekend didn't go so well. I lost every game I played and couldn't lift my arm over my head the next day from soreness.

Melissa Haneline
The Post and Courier

Matt Cloer vanquished veteran pickleball player Courrégé in a recent match at Trident Academy.

Matt was as good as beaten. I didn't care that he was younger, and I hadn't even considered the possibility of taking it easy on him.

This was my chance for a pickleball championship T-shirt, which my former P.E. teacher mailed to me for the winner of the game. It was time to put an end to this kid's misery.

The champion would have to win two of three games. And so it began.

Most of the school's students showed up to watch the game, and the crowd was in his favor. They cheered wildly when he did well and sighed equally as loudly when he didn't. I couldn't hear my three fans.

I expected him to be decent but not good.

Maybe I should have given him more credit.

I kept the score close for a while, but it was a short while. Matt ran away with a lead, and the game ended. 11-6. Matt had won.

Melissa Haneline
The Post and Courier

The prized, and elusive, pickleball championship T-shirt.

I was stunned and amused. Surely, this wasn't happening. This was my chance to earn the T-shirt that was hanging from the scoreboard. I had to pull it together.

I came back on the court, ready to dominate. So did Matt.

And he did.

11-0. Matt won again. Take your pick of verbs to describe the second game — annihilated, destroyed, massacred, beat down, pummelled, embarrassed, hammered, trashed and trounced.

Worst of all, I had lost my chance for the T-shirt.

This was funny. And pathetic.

Whatever, Matt. I hope you enjoy your pickleball championship T-shirt, the one I got for you. I'll enjoy the second T-shirt that my P.E. teacher was nice enough to send me.

Matt was a great sport, and he didn't rub in his pickleball superiority. He graciously agreed to a rematch, and he conceded that he played tennis frequently, just like the girl who beat me in high school.

"I guess that's the way the pickle goes sometimes," he said afterward, and I laughed.

IN A PICKLE

Melissa Haneline
The Post and Courier

The agony of defeat: Courrégé (left) is relegated to the sidelines of the pickleball court , while Trident Academy Athletic Director Travis Whetzel (center) presents a T-shirt to the pickleball champ.

-- How did pickleball get its name?

The inventors of the sport had a dog named Pickles, thus the sport's name. Pickleball was created during the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island near Seattle by the late U.S. Rep. Joel Pritchard of Washington and two friends. They wanted to provide a pastime for the children in their families. The court still exists on Bainbridge Island, but Pickles has gone to pickleball heaven.

-- Where can you play pickleball in South Carolina?

The Del Webb community in Bluffton has formed a pickleball club and has more than 530 members. For more information, go to oursuncityhiltonhead.net.

A couple in Greenville are looking for more people to play pickleball. For more information, e-mail Lynn_corbett@yahoo.com.

If someone wants to start a pickleball group in Charleston, the USA Pickleball Association has a place on its Web site to do so.

-- Is pickleball a legitimate sport?

Definitely! Pickleball is an official sport in some states' Senior Games competitions, and pickleball is so popular among senior citizens that officials decided in March to include it as an official sport in the National Senior Winter Games. Pickleball also is part of South Carolina's academic standards. Pickleball is mentioned as a potential sport for students in the third through fifth grades to play to show their knowledge of certain skills.

-- How do you play pickleball?

Pickleball is played on a badminton-size court, and players use a plastic ball with holes (a whiffle ball) and paddles. Singles or doubles can play pickleball, and teams score only when serving. Serves must be hit underhand, and each team must allow the ball to bounce before hitting it. After that, teams can play the ball in the air or off the bounce. The game ends when one team reaches 11 points and has beaten the other team by two points.

For more information on pickleball, go to usapa.org.

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.