The Bulloch County Recreation and Parks Department is finding out that citizens of Bulloch County have a new favorite pastime: Pickleball. This smaller off-shoot of tennis has been a staple of the rec center for about two years now, slowly gaining a broader player base.
For those unaware, pickleball is a game that plays similarly to tennis, but the court is much smaller. Instead of a racket, players use a paddle to bounce a whiffle ball between each other. The game is usually played for up to 11 points, and it can be played one-on-one or with up to teams of two.
The biggest appeal of the sport is the faster-paced nature of the game.
“With it being played on a smaller condensed-sized court, there’s a lot of movement that you don’t have on a bigger court like in tennis,” said Athletics Division Manager Dadrian Cosby. “It’s very good for adults to be able to play and anybody who’s looking to stay in shape.”
The player base for pickleball seems to be pretty varied in Statesboro. In recent matches, the local courts have seen almost 90 players in a single day.
“We have a very good following right now with college students,” Cosby said. “Adults play as well. Statesboro seems to have truly taken to pickleball.”
This steady increase of pickleball players has the rec center staff considering trying new things like implementing a sports league dedicated to pickleball.
“We’re always thinking about expanding and looking for areas to grow in,” Cosby said. “I’m sure with the growth of Bulloch County with all these industries coming in, everything will have the potential to grow.
Some plans for growing the sport include holding pickleball tournaments. But this idea will likely be on the waiting list for a while.
“We’re not really jumping into tournaments just yet,” Cosby said. “We want to get league plays and things going first before we jump in and start doing tournaments.”
Barry Kirkland, who runs a Statesboro Pickleball group on Facebook, shared details on the upcoming league play. A 50+ league will start the last week of March and run for 6 weeks. A high school league will also begin the last week of March. Once the 50+ league play concludes, 49 and under will begin. The cost is only $15, and players can register online soon.
For the time being, the Rec Center allows anyone to come in and play pickleball for free. The Bulloch County Recreation and Parks Department currently has six pickleball courts, located at the Sue Oertley Tennis Complex near the Honey Bowen Building at 1 Max Lockwood Drive in Statesboro.
Statesboro Pickleball hosts open play Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7pm; Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 9am; and a special beginner/novice session Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7pm.
The complex is open 8am-9pm Monday through Sunday.
For more information, contact Barron Gillis 912-489-9067 or Barry Kirkland of Statesboro Pickleball at 912-682-3422.