#ThisIsThePlace: Pickleball gets people out and active more

LELAND, NC (WWAY) —  It’s a sport that started more than 50 years ago but has recently exploded. It’s one of the fastest-growing sport in America.

It’s called pickleball and it’s hard to find someone not playing it in Leland.

“It is the biggest sport in Leland,” pickleball player Marty Smith said.

A typical morning for Smith consists reading the newspaper, drinking a cup of coffee, and playing pickleball.

After visiting several times, the Cape Fear area drew Smith, a Virginia native, in for good and that’s when he started playing pickleball.

“They had the lights on up at the fitness center on the tennis court so I went up there one night and they also had two pickleball courts up there so I began to play pickleball at that time there were only 7 or 8 players,” Smith said.

As time went on, more and more joined in. It was when smith became an Ambassador in Brunswick county for the USA Pickleball Association that things really took off.

Crossed between badminton, tennis, and ping pong, it’s played with a paddle and a wiffle ball on a short court.

It’s not a new sport, it began nearly 50 years ago…so why the craze now?

“The biggest things that pickleball has did was attract the over 50 crowd because it doesn’t give you the movement that tennis down and it’s not as invasive on the joints,” Smith said.

You’ll find more than 800 people playing within the county with over 600 of those living in Leland.

Alison Galizia says she hates going to the gym so this is the best way for her to get exercise.

“Once you start, you’re just into it,” Galizia. “It’s a commitment because you love it.”

Galizia says it’s not just the game that makes it appealing, it’s another way to socialize and meet people.

“It gets people off the sofa. It brings them out from behind the computer and it gets them on the court,” Smith said. “It’s not hard to meet people that do the same things you do, think the same way you do.”

Smith says Leland could not be more perfect for him.

“Everyone down here says, ‘well I don’t want to go across the bridge’? I love going across the bridge,” Smith said. “It’s okay for me because the river itself and just looking at it and watching it. When you’re coming over the bridge and you look to your left down at the boardwalk it’s wonderful. The restaurants are great, but I don’t want to be there every day.”

Brunswick Forest has more than 340 passionate but friendly competitive pickleball club members.

“Every game, it doesn’t matter what game your playing whether it’s your 1st game, 10th game, you get a adrenaline rush,” Smith said.

The challenge is to win by two, so may the best player win.

“No, it’s not just for guys and women can play against guys,” Galizia said. “Yes, guys can hit it harder, but there are a lot of strong female players out here that can hold their own with the guys.”

While the ball may fall short some times, Galizia says it’s all about having a good time.

“You know you’re talking, you’re laughing so it’s get the endorphins going, you feel good,” Galizia said.

Smith says this sport has caught a lot of attention and can’t wait to see how far the sport will grow.

“I really didn’t think it would catch on like it has and it’s just on fire right now and I got a feeling, who knows that could be an Olympic sport before it’s over with,” Smith said.

The sport was first played in Washington and was named after the Co-Inventor’s dog, Pickles, who chased stray balls and then hid them in the bushes.