As the cold temperatures and icy conditions of winter quickly blanket Saskatchewan, people are flocking inside to get their fix of physical activity.
For those who are looking for an activity that keeps you active, but is slow paced and low impact, then pickleball might be just up your alley.
Pickleball is a few sports combined into one: tennis, ping-pong, and badminton. All you need to play is a net, a racket and a wiffle ball – all of which are offered at the Gloria Hayden Community Centre.
For the second year, the Gloria Hayden has teamed up with the Sask Senior Fitness Association to provide pickleball every week to people in Yorkton.
David Weiman of the Sask Senior Fitness Association said the game really is for everyone.
“It was set up in the States for seniors. Anyone can play it, and especially when you get in the doubles like we are today, we played for two hours. You really don’t have to work as hard,” Weiman said after last Thursday’s session. “The thing that’s really good about this is that you really get a lot of rallies. And it’s a wiffle ball, so you can’t slap it really hard. It’s pretty hard to get hurt.”
With Yorkton being a larger center in Saskatchewan, Weiman said he’s surprised that the sport hasn’t caught on as rapidly as it has in other places. He said they’re trying to enlighten the people of Yorkton and surrounding areas of what pickleball has to offer.
“In the rest of the province, it’s going nuts. They’ve got over 400 seniors playing in Saskatoon. In the little town of Elbow, they’ve got 52 seniors playing,” he said.
Last Thursday was the first session of the season. Weiman and three others were there to take advantage of the opportunity, but they’re hoping to see more people attend future sessions.
LeeAnne Malinowski played last year, and was there on Thursday to start another season.
“It really is fun, and it’s not that hard of a game. And it’s a way to meet people,” she said.
Taylor Morrison, the recreation services manager with the City of Yorkton, encourages people to come give it a try.
“People can just drop in and hop on a court,” he said. He added that the pickleball nets are also available during the gym’s drop-in hours, if someone is interested in playing but can’t make it to the designated clinic times.
Players of any level are welcome to take part – whether you’re brand new to the sport or a seasoned professional.
Pickleball sessions are hosted every Thursday at the Gloria Hayden Centre from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The cost is four dollars per participant.
There will also be a learn-to-play clinic in Foam Lake on November 21, for anyone in the area who is interested in giving it a try.
