What’s pickleball & why is it growing here?

More than 30 people are already gathered inside the neon-colored walls of the “Roll ‘R’ Way” in York at 9:15 a.m. on a Tuesday. The people — of all different ages — are using what look like table tennis paddles to play a sport that resembles tennis.

Except it’s pickleball, a sport that mixes elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. 

“It’s kind of like small tennis,” Andy Tarburton explained. 

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Tarburton is the vice president of the White Rose Pickleball Association (WRPA), a group that’s trying to promote pickleball in the greater York area. 

The sport is played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes. According to the USA Pickleball Association, the sport can be played either doubles or singles on badminton-sized courts with a modified tennis net. 

“It’s simple. It’s easy to learn,” Tarburton said. “There’s only a couple rules that make it different from tennis.”

And people love it. The WRPA grew out of three groups who were playing at Penn State York, Springettsbury Park and Fitz Park. In late Oct. 2017, a group of about 40 people approached a manager at the “Roll ‘R’ Way” looking for a place to play indoors. They put down some courts, purchased nets and suddenly grew to over 100 members in just a few months. 

Teresa Laucks of West Manchester Township said the game keeps her both physically and mentally sharp. After retiring as a physical education teacher at Eastern York High School in October 2017, Laucks has tried to play pickleball at least once a week. 

“You’re changing directions constantly. You’re moving constantly. I get out of breath,” she said.

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Laucks was introduced to the game by Sharon Fassnacht from Windsor Township. Fassnacht, a retired physical education teacher from Susquehannock High School, taught pickleball in her classes. 

When the high school students couldn’t beat the teachers, Fassnacht knew the game was more about skill than age. 

“They always think they have to use power, and it’s all about placement,” she said. “There’s a lot of finesse involved.”  

In fact, pickleball is appealing to older age groups. Tarburton said the game is popular in The Villages, a retirement community in Florida where his parents live. He thinks the game is great for aging populations because it’s a smaller area played in pairs. 

That’s the case for 82-year-old Barry Ashway of Springettsbury Township. Armed with a paddle and one win that day, Ashway said he’d been interested in sports all of his life and found pickleball at just the right time. 

“Some of the other sports are more demanding and not as acceptable for me to do anymore,” he said.

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Now, the group is looking for somewhere to play in the summer. The “Roll ‘R’ Way” is air conditioned, but Tarburton said the WRPA would like to play games outside if they can find a spot with enough courts to accommodate their 117 members and counting. 

“It just keeps growing,” he said. 

If you go…

What: White Rose Pickleball Association

Where: “Roll ‘R’ Way” — 940 Vander Ave. in York, Pa.

Membership: $25 a year

Schedule: Every day. Join the Facebook group for specific times based on the days of the week.