PIckleball --Play and Tour Around The World

Our Pickleball Costa Rica tour was a lot of fun. If you love the game of pickleball, you'll love the pickleball players. We haven't met a pickleball player or group that hasn't been really fun and nice to be around and play.

That said, combine the love of travel with the game and you have some unique opportunities to do something a little different. I was amazed to learn that there are a lot more tours around the world that are combining pickleball with touring. Italy, Spain, Hawaii are only a couple of the places you can choose from on the Pickleball Trips site.

There are a few other pickleball sites that offer trips as well especially when there are tournaments being played. Believe it or not pickleball is becoming quite a sport and is boasting professionals now who make money playing tournaments.

We have a long way to go before we could consider being professional. I think the pressure would take all the fun out of a game that is great exercise and a terrific way of meeting some very nice people. If you haven't given it a go, check out your local Y or go to USAPA Pickleball and find a group playing near you.

Costa Rica And Pickleball!

Our arrangement for gathering together to begin our tour was to meet everyone at the airport. Another lady who came in from Arizona met us on the airport shuttle from our hotels and we had the driver drop us at the arrivals area. There was one restaurant in the area where we could sit and wait for the others to join us. Some were flying in that morning or joining us from other hotels.

Since we weren't exactly sure what the lunch arrangements were, we bought sandwiches and a drink and enjoyed them as we waited. Before long, our driver from King Tours found us and took our luggage to the van. Eventually our hosts, Celeste and Tony Horpel from Pickleball Costa Rica, and the others in our group joined us and we were on our way.

Our first destination was the Puenta Leona resort on the Pacific coast. The countryside was green, very green. Remember we were in a rainforest area. That point would be made several times over our stay in CR with rain showers (and at times downpours) almost daily. The heat and humidity hit us all the moment we stepped out of our nice air conditioned van. Were we actually going to play Pickleball in this weather? Yes.

The problem was the rain. By the time we arrived at Puenta Leona it was drizzling--our Pickleball would be delayed. We met for dinner at the restaurant across from our clustered rooms (there were four rooms to each cluster with an open court in the middle). The restaurant was open aired so no A/C. After a bit we got used to it. All of the meals were included in our package and were buffet and nicely done. Our first night was an Argentinian theme with beef on the grill. (There would always be some items freshly cooked on the open grill.)

After a dinner where we got to know others in our group a bit, Celeste and Tony gave us wonderful gifts of local coffee, mugs and t-shirts with their frog Pickleball logo. Everyone was tired from their travel so it was an early evening. Pickleball would happen in the morning provided the tennis courts would dry off enough for taping the Pickleball courts.

It would happen that we would tape and often chalk because it would rain off and on each day wiping away the previous lines. Some days were extremely hot and humid for playing in the sun but we managed to pull it off and also had several clinics with our Pickleball ambassador and coach, Claudia Fontana.

Pickleball Around The World

So what is Pickleball? One of the fastest growing sports for all ages. It was said it was for seniors but the players are getting younger everyday. We even have middle school students coming to learn to play on occasion from the nearby school. And, to my surprise, it has spread to many other parts of the world. So, I guess we can start packing our paddles when we travel.

Back to the original question. Pickleball is a little like tennis but played on a smaller court with paddles that look like table tennis but are a bit larger and a ball that resembles a whiffle ball. Check out the video here.



So where do you find Pickleball outside the USA? Canada, Finland, Australia, France, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and the UK. Did I mention Costa Rica? Yes. There is a couple from Washington who moved to Costa Rica and is now setting up tours for Pickleball groups to come and play and sightsee and play. Our Pickleball group may be going. Sounds like it could be fun. Travel and Pickleball. Best of both worlds.

Pickleball?

No doubt about it. We love Pickleball. Pickleball, you ask? Yes, one of the fastest growing sports among the growing senior population. Let me try to explain.

Pickleball is played with rackets that are like oversized table tennis paddles. While it has similarities to badminton, the shuttle cock has been replaced with a "whiffle" ball. It is played on a court that is like a tennis court and its rules are similar to tennis.

Pickleball can be as easy or as active as the players engaged in it. It's appeal to the older generation in that it is not as hard on the joints as some sports can be since there is less area to run in. But don't let that fool you. What may seem simple to some becomes a matter of strategy, placement, and response. Eye/hand coordination is intense and quick thinking often wins for those who don't run quite as fast any more.

Another advantage of Pickleball is that it can be played indoors which works for those of us who live in areas that are cold and snowy in the winter. A simple portable net and some tape to mark the court's dimensions is all you need.

So where did this all start? In Washington in 1965 at the home of Joel Pritchard. He and a group of friends were trying to get their families interested in badminton and when they couldn't find the shuttle cock, they used a whiffle ball. When that didn't work with the rackets, they made their own from wood. Then decided to lower the net. Pickleball was born. It has evolved quite a bit since then and has gained momentum especially in retirement communities like those found in Florida. But why the name, Pickleball?

According to Joan Pritchard the name came from her saying it reminded her of the pickle boats, the term given to boats with a crew that were chosen from the leftovers of other boats.

While Paddle Tennis is similar in nature, Pickleball has caught on much more rapidly. It certainly has the two of us hooked.