Pickleball picked up by passionate public on Delmarva

There aren't too many places on Delmarva where people openly admit they're an addict.

But during a warm June evening at John M. Clayton Elementary School, Delmarva's latest addiction prospered under the sinking sun.

"I'm an addict," said Dana Aultman, his orange shirt clinging to his chest and a white headband wicking away the sweat from eyes hidden behind sunglasses. He was holding a red and black picklelball racket, matching his gloves.

Aultman, 66, of Camden, Delaware, joined about 50 pickleball players at the new Clayton Elementary school tennis courts, which have been relined to pickleball court dimensions.

The eight courts at the Frankford school are the first solely dedicated to pickleball in the state. Organized by the First State Pickleball Club, there will be an official ribbon cutting 10 a.m. Saturday, June 13, as well as demonstration games. Registration and beginner class dates can be found online at Delawarepickleball.com.

Pickleball is a mix of ping pong, racquetball and tennis. The ball is similar to a whiffle ball, and the paddle is a mix between a racquetball racket and table tennis paddle.

In a singles or doubles match, a player serves diagonally to the opposing team. After one bounce, the ball is played back. The ball must bounce once more after the return and then it's open court — except for the kitchen area, which is a 7-foot section on each side of the net. A player may only enter there once a ball bounces.

Most players play right outside the kitchen, volleying back and forth, but there is also the opportunity for a lob with 15 feet behind of open space behind the kitchen line.

"If you have four people of equal skill level, 14 feet apart, banging away — it's a lot of fun," Aultman said. "It's up close table tennis. It requires speed and dexterity without the running that the poor tennis players have to go through."

It's an easy game to learn, not too physically demanding and very competitive, making it enticing for any age, Butch Martin said, president of First State Pickleball Club.

Most of all, it's just fun, Martin said.

"It's easier to play than tennis," Martin said. "It's a smaller court — the size of a badminton court so you're not running as much. Mainly for seniors at our age, we can't be running that much. Lot of people have bad knees and bad hips."

Martin said there are 130 members in the Millsboro location, growing by one or two each day. In total, about 300 people play.

While the courts will be a huge addition, it won't hold them forever as the club continues to grow.

"Five years ago, there was very little pickleball in Delaware," Martin said. "There was just a handful of people playing, but it caught on big. It was like an explosion. People start playing and they get addicted."

The clubs in Salisbury, Ocean Pines and Pocomoke have been growing as well, Ryan Smith said. Smith recently moved from Princess Anne to Pennsylvania, but thinks it will continue to grow.

In Salisbury, pickleball is played at the YMCA, so players have to be a member there, but there are beginner classes in the morning, Monday to Saturday, and advanced classes in the evening, Monday to Thursday, Smith said.

"Definitely, the thing with pickleball is — its one of those sports where any age can play and be proficient in it," Smith said.

The Delaware clubs most active player is 83-year-old Marion Lisehora of Millsboro. While Martin and his wife, Cheryl, along with Aultman are ambassadors and partake in the governing of the club, Lisehora plays almost every day, sometimes twice, at places all over Delmarva.

She'll frequent the Lewes, Milford, Seaford, Ocean Pines and now Millsboro locations.

Lisehora has been an athlete since varsity sports in high school, but never played a racket sport, she said.

Before pickleball, she was into volleyball until a few friends came back from Florida with a "pickleball bug."

Scheduling conflicts didn't allow her to play, but once she did, there was no going back.

"They finally got me one time to go play — that's all it took," Lisehora said. "One time to go play and I was hooked."

rmarshall@dmg.gannett.com

On Twitter/Instagram: @DTimes_Marshall

Places to play pickleball

Delaware

•Bear/Glasgow

•Dover/Milford

•Hockessin

•Lewes/Rehoboth Beach

•Middletown

•Seaford

•Millsboro

•Wilmington

Maryland

•Ocean Pines

•Salisbury

•Pocomoke

For more information, visit Delawarepickleball.com