I’ll Gladly Add “Staying Out of the Kitchen” to My Resume (My take on playing Pickleball on the Main Line)
It’s the fastest growing sport in our country and it’s taken me this long to give it a try? I know. I am ashamed. My tennis teacher, Tyler Stroyek, talks about his love for Pickleball at least once during every tennis lesson I take with him. So he finally convinced me to take a lesson. And of course I had to bring some friends along. It was very easy to find some eager Pickleball newbies, like myself. Our clinic sold out in an hour.
Why is pickleball so popular? What’s the draw? What’s the reason for the obsession? It’s hard to really understand before ever having stepped foot on a Pickleball court, but I was told that there are several reasons why Pickleball is so well received among all ages and genders:
It’s easy to pick up. This is probably the number one reason for the sport’s growth. Pickleball doesn’t require a bunch of lessons or fine tuned skills to be able to play or even be good. I was told that I would be able to play a social game after that first clinic. And that’s pretty encouraging and exciting (especially after years of tennis lessons and still feeling like I struggle in a game setting).
And after our beginner clinic earlier this week, I am going to have to agree with this one. We were all actually playing a game (and I thought looked damn good doing it) by the end of the hour and a half… although I am not sure that I could actually keep score yet without the pro’s help.
We were playing a game here within the first hour of the clinic. This is unheard of in any other racquet sport.
It’s a social game. The nature of the sport makes it social. Because the court is smaller, you stand closer to your partner and your opponents. Therefore it’s easier to engage with one another- laugh, chat, smile or shit talk- whatever your choice of social engagement is. Covid lockdown was a big reason for the increase in popularity in the sport because Pickleball was an opportunity to get outside and to come together in a laid back and playful environment. And, to be honest, it’s hard not to smile when you are talking about “dinking” the ball.
So yes, I totally agree that the social factor is a huge draw. The game is innately casual. Life is too short to take your racquet sports too seriously and Pickleball is just easy fun! And I love the idea of “Courts to Cocktails”, so expect a future collaboration with Tyler’s company and a new bartender friend that I just made.
You don’t need to be in tip top athletic shape to be successful at Pickleball. In fact, many athletes who are injured and can’t play their game of choice often turn to Pickleball to stay competitive and active but in a less physically demanding way.
Unfortunately, we saw evidence of this at our beginner clinic when one of the participants came to play after having injured herself running earlier that day. And sure enough, she was able to do the drills and play a practice game with the group. But just because my injured friend was able to play, do not underestimate the calorie burn of this game. My friend, Michele Stroyek (who also happens to be Tyler’s wife), tells me on average she burns around 600 calories in just under two hours of play time! Because you are squatting behind “the kitchen” and “dinking” the ball for most of the game, it’s an incredible leg workout. In fact, I woke up the next morning feeling like I did 100 squats the day before… and I just may have.
You don’t need expensive equipment to play pickleball. Yes, wear tennis sneakers for support (do not wear running shoes, people!). You do need a Pickleball paddle, but the price of the paddle is about 1/2 of the price of a tennis racquet. And purchasing a paddle is not nearly as involved as purchasing a tennis racquet. You will also need some balls which are essentially Wiffle balls (super light with holes). That’s it!
Check out some paddle and ball options here.
Of course, another reason to love the sport is the cute clothes. Me and my girlfriends coordinated with our paddles (totally unplanned).
So this sport sounds like a dream, right? There is one challenge to Pickleball that I have noticed — where the heck do you play? My clinic filled up in an hour because so many people want to get in on the action but don’t know how or where. Lifetime in King of Prussia has a very vibrant and active Pickleball community, but you don’t belong to Lifetime. Most country clubs have a Pickleball court or two, but you don’t go to a country club. People are building Pickleball courts in their backyards, but you don’t have $45,000 to blow on a private court. So where and when can you play? Why get you hooked, if I can’t tell you where to scratch the itch?
So here is the list of local spots to dink, chop and volley with other Pickleballers in the area:
If you want to learn the game, I recommend starting where I did— with TennisbyTyler. While Tyler teaches tennis, he has expanded his offerings to include Pickleball and hired some of the best pros in the area to run his clinics. One of those professionals is David Kempster. David has been teaching tennis and Pickleball for many years at some of the most well known clubs in the area. He is currently the Racquets Pro for the Peninsula Country Club at the Delaware shore. But don’t worry, he comes to the Main Line and the Jersey Shore to teach. David has all the certs — he is a PTR (“Professional Tennis Registry”)/PPR (“Professional Pickleball Registry”) “Dual Impact” teaching professional. David has hosted clinics with the top Pickleball pros and also represents the leading Pickleball brand, Selkirk. While his days used to consist of 70% tennis lessons and 30% Pickleball, recently, that ratio has flipped on its head. David has a super laid back vibe (could be the Australian accent) and is just fun to be around. In my opinion, he is the perfect poster child for this social sport.
David is showing me that I still need to stand in the ready position. Proof that tennis skills do translate onto the Pickleball court.
TennisbyTyler offers tons of private sessions, clinics and social tournaments on the Main Line and down the shore in Sea Isle City all spring and summer long. The second spring session for both beginner and intermediate level players in Lower Merion starts on April 19 and runs through May 24. You can register here. This 6 week clinic is a great option for someone looking to play consistently to either learn the game or improve their Pickleball skills.
TennisbyTyler also has several social one-day Pickleball tournaments. Grab a partner and sign up! On May 7, TennisbyTyler is hosting a social tournament in Berwyn. This event will be raising money for the JaxStrong Foundation which offers financial assistance to families who have children battling cancer. Register by April 16 here.
(Tyler and I are also talking about a social couples tournament in May. Stay tuned…)
Public Courts in the area. (Most of these courts are available for walk-on play. Some don’t have permanent nets because they are not on dedicated Pickleball courts. On busy weekend days, you can be guaranteed a net, but also a wait to get to play! Some townships may have nets but they could be locked up so you would want to call the township’s parks and recs department in advance… or just bring your own).
Bob White Park in Radnor
Bob White Park in Upper Merion has 6 Pickleball court lines drawn on the 3 public tennis courts. This is where our clinic was held. The courts were pretty available during the week. There was only one other group playing when we were there. Noteworthy: There is no public restroom at this park.
Teegarden Park in Berwyn is home to 4 Pickleball courts in Tredyffrin Township. These courts are not “dedicated Pickleball courts”. Nets are locked up in the storage bin next to the courts (use code 1100 to access them). The courts are available on a first come, first serve basis but can be reserved for an hour for $30 by contacting the Tredyffrin Township. Noteworthy: This is where TennisbyTyler is holding the spring social tournament on May 7. Register here.
Warren Filipone Park in Radnor has 4 Pickleball courts drawn on the two public tennis courts. There is a public restroom which will be open for use starting in April and requires the code “1-2-3” for access.
Paddock Park in Havertown has 8 new dedicated Picklball courts with permanent nets. Use playtimescheduler.com to sign up in advance for this very popular Pickleball spot. There are different times for open play for Haverford township and non-township residents during the summer season. Noteworthy: A very vibrant Pickleball community has been playing here for about 9 years and eventually got the township to put in the eight dedicated courts.
McMoran Park in Bala Cynwyd is where TennisbyTyler holds spring clinics. You can sign up here. Noteworthy: Tyler adds the Pickleball court lines to the tennis courts himself because this is not a usual Pickleball spot.
Water Tower Recreation Center in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia has 6 dedicated Pickleball courts with permanent nets. There are several “meet-up groups” for open play of all skill levels. You can go on MeetUp.com to sign up. There are bathrooms available to use inside the rec center. Noteworthy: There are lights for evening Pickleball and wind screens around the fence! This is one of the only public courts in the area that you can play Pickleball at night.
I also found the YouTube Channel, Pickleball is Life, to be a helpful resource to get the scoop on some local courts (including where to play down the shore).
If you’d like to give Pickleball a try, I’m getting together with TennisbyTyler one more time to bring you another beginner Pickleball clinic on April 25. Same place, same time: Bob White Park at 12-1:30 pm. At this clinic you can expect to go over the Pickleball court; learn how to hold the paddle; focus on the various types of hits; run some offensive and defense drills; learn how to serve; talk about court positions; and begin to discuss strategy in a real game setting. Sign up here!
Thanks to my girlfriends, Nicole and Diane, for helping me out with these pictures. You girls are great sports and happen to be pretty good Pickleball players, too!
paid partnership with sweetgreen (scroll down for a coupon)
If you know me, you know how much I love sweetgreen. I used to drive all the way to Ardmore just for a salad! So I was thrilled when I heard that we were getting a sweetgreen in Wayne. Have you been to the new store yet? It’s open and spacious, with a clean and modern feel inside. There are more tables in this larger store than any other nearby location. So you can sit and stay for a bit without feeling the pressure of waiting diners. In fact, you may find me posted up in there working on my next blog article. But my favorite part about the new store is the outdoor seating grove for those sunny days that seem to be here to stay for a bit now.
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Go check out the new Wayne store and use this coupon. (Follow the prompts to redeem it and put it in your digital wallet on the SG app— it’s easier than it sounds. I promise!) And be sure to come say hi if you see me in there enjoying my salad. Click on the button below to redeem your coupon.