New Pickleball group starting at Palatine parks

There’s no reason to not stay active this winter, now that Palatine Park District expands its Pickleball offerings, with a new group aimed at those 18 and older.

There are now three Pickleball options for the community. Indoor Pickleball is offered at Falcon Park Recreation Center, 2195 N. Hicks Road, throughout the year. Pickleball for the 50+ crowd is played on Mondays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon, and a new Pickleball group for adults ages 18 and over will be played on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon beginning Nov. 20. This new program will be operated on a drop-in basis through May 28. The weekly fee is $2 for players with a current Palatine Park District ID, and $3 for those without an ID.

During the summer months, Pickleball is offered outdoors free at Sycamore Park, 901 N. Clark Drive in Palatine.

“Pickleball is a fun game that is played on a badminton court with the net lowered to 34 inches at the center,” according to the USA Pickleball Association. “It is played with a perforated plastic baseball (similar to a whiffle ball) and wood or composite paddles. It is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players.”

Pickleball can be played as singles or doubles, and offers a fun way to fit a new racket sport into your recreation regimen.

According to the website of the USA Pickleball Association, www.usapa.org, the game was invented by Joel Pritchard, a congressman from Washington state and businessman Bill Bell in 1965 using sports equipment they found around the house, and naming it after the Pritchards’ cocker spaniel, Pickles.

For information on Pickleball including rules and videos, visit www.usapa.org.

For more information on Pickleball at Palatine Park District, visit www.palatineparks.org or contact Todd Ranum, athletic coordinator, at (847) 496-6238 or tranum@palatineparks.org