It will occasionally leave you in a pickle and it is becoming a big deal.
Pickleball has taken Tazewell County by storm over the last year or so. Richlands was the first to organize games with play on their tennis courts. Bluefield and Tazewell have followed suit and all three locations have plenty of players.
The game combines elements of tennis, ping pong and badminton and is played on the same size court as a doubles badminton court.
A paddle and a plastic ball with holes in it are used.
The net is a slightly lowered tennis net. One of the unique rules of pickleball is there is a seven foot area in front of the net referred to as the kitchen.
Players can’t enter the kitchen to volley and a serve that lands in the kitchen is no good. Randy Synan, from Princeton, organized the Tazewell league at Four Seasons YMCA.
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An avid player and fan of the sport, Synan also enjoys teaching the game and works to get everyone playing time.
He also tries to make the game fun and to keep the competition even.
New players have been arriving every week and pick the game up quickly. The game has been around since 1965 and has grown from a backyard game to having its own professional association with tournament play in all 50 states.
It also has its own website where everything from how to play to where tournaments are being held available.
The Y makes the gym available for pickleball from 10 am until noon on Tuesdays and Thursday and Steve Sarver has courts in Bluefield where play is held on Sundays at four and Tuesdays and Thursdays at six pm.
Richlands offers games during the week and on Sunday evenings when the courts are available. Richlands offers games on the outdoor tennis courts when the weather is good.