Page 105 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2016

that people with or without racquet skills can enjoy it. Court shoes — not running shoes — are worn but no special attire is required. “You do not have to be an athlete to play this sport,” she said.
Pickleball migrated to Mississippi when Pass Christian residents Ron and Anita Feldman saw it being played while on a trip to Mexico. They brought it back to Pass Christian, were successful in getting two public tennis courts lined for pickleball, and started conducting classes there in 2012.
Deonne and Tom Linenberger started a pickleball program in Biloxi at Donal Snyder Community Center a year ago. They expanded the program to Gulfport in January 2016. Deonne’s brother and sister-in-law, Darryl and Shirley Maxwell, started a program in Long Beach last summer.
“The Mississippi Gulf Coast player population has exploded to over 125 not counting the numerous tourists and snowbirds who join in,” Linenberger said. “The exciting thing is that in the past few months we have drawn tourists and snowbirds from 11 different states.”
The Gulf Coast now has eight outdoor courts and 11 indoor courts. Games are scheduled somewhere every day of the week except Sunday. Ten Mississippi sites are listed on the USA Pickleball Association website and the Gulf Coast boasts five of the ten sites and the majority of players in the State.
“Pickleball is truly a sport for all ages. Retirees — 68 percent of players are over age 60 — cannot get enough
of it, and now schools and colleges are recognizing the popularity of the sport and adding pickleball to their curriculums,” Linenberger said. “Everyone receives health benefits from the physical activity the sport brings. There is also a social aspect to the game that keeps players involved.”
Pickleball was added to the Mississippi Senior Olympics four years ago with a total of 28 competitors. This year more than 120 people from Mississippi and neighboring states participated. The Gulf Coast alone was represented by 30 players. Six Mississippi Gulf Coast players competed in the Greater New Orleans Senior Olympics and came home with a total of eight medals.
How did the game get its name? “The family that invented the sport gave it the name pickleball. They lived in Washington state and came from the rowing world where the slowest boat in a rowing race was called the pickle boat,” Linenberger said. “This
originated from English yachting
where the last boat was called
the fisher. This boat would
stop to fish for herring
and then pickle them. The
pickling process required the
boat to take longer than the
others to come into port.”
For locations and times to play,
visit www.usapa.org.
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May 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 105