SHREWSBURY – Shrewsbury has officially embraced the fast-growing sport of pickleball.
Pickleball is played with paddles and perforated plastic balls. The game – which can be played either singles or doubles – combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong.
The sport has become so popular that over the last few years, Shrewsbury converted two tennis courts at Coolidge Elementary School into four new pickleball courts. The original tennis nets remain, but now only serve to separate the four courts and slow the roll of any runaway pickleballs.
The Coolidge courts – the only public pickleball courts in Shrewsbury – opened in late May. Director of Recreation Laurel Rossiter said people were “chomping at the bit” to play on the new courts.
“We got a lot of phone calls and emails,” Rossiter said. “People were really excited to get here and start playing, [and the courts] have been pretty much used consistently ever since opening.”
On July 31, the Parks and Recreation Department closed its monthlong Parks and Rec. Month celebration with an introduction to pickleball program. Dozens of eager new pickleballers fought through a light drizzle to participate and learn about the sport.
“Any skill or age level [can play],” said Travis Sullivan, the pickleball instructor and trainer leading the clinic. “You can be in your twenties and in the best shape of your life and playing against others that may be in their sixties or seventies – and you’re still losing against those guys. It’s all about the game speed. You can play the game really fast, or you can slow it down… It just opens the door to endless possibilities.”
Sullivan also said the sport is popular because it has an especially low barrier to entry.
“I guarantee you in an hour session, or an hour-and-a-half session, you will have the fundamental rules to feel comfortable enough to walk onto any court and feel comfortable enough to make a pick-up game with whoever is there,” he said.
Sullivan has been a pickleball instructor and trainer for the last eight years, and he said that he loved the community aspect of the sport the most.
“It’s growing exponentially, and you meet so many people through the game. It really has become a large community game; you share camaraderie with the people you play with,” he said.
“Pickleball is a really accessible sport,” Rossiter said. “It’s easy to learn, and there’s not as much running and wear and tear on the body. People find it comfortable to play, and it’s easily adaptable to different skill levels.”
If you’d like to learn more about pickleball, check out https://usapickleball.org/. Coolidge Elementary School is located at 1 Florence St., and the Shrewsbury Parks and Recreation Department can be found at https://shrewsburyma.myrec.com/info/default.aspx.
