Page 66 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2024

SPORTS & OUTDOORS
power
PICKLEBALL
story by Joey Lee
photos courtesy of Deonne and Tom Linenberger
Pickleball is sweeping the Coast, drawing players of all ages. The sport, a mix of tennis and ping-pong, is played on a court about the same size as one used in badminton.
The blend of strategy, movement, and social interaction has made it one of the fastest- growing sports in the country – especially among seniors.
As Tom Linenberger, a USA Pickleball Ambassador and longtime advocate for the sport on the Coast explains, “Pickleball is easy to learn, and that’s one of the biggest reasons it’s become so popular, especially among older adults.”
Linenberger and his wife, Deonne, have been instrumental in growing pickleball on the Coast since 2015. “When we started, it was truly a senior sport for the 55+ crowd, and we were begging people to play,” recalls Deonne. “Now it’s been the fastest growing sport in the nation for four years.”
66 | November 2024
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