Spring is here, and one sport in particular seems to be getting an ever-growing number of people moving outside. On last week’s Up Close Show, Kubba Kusmieruk answered the question on the minds of many: what exactly is pickleball?
“Pickleball is a great racquet sport. According to the internet, it is the fastest-growing sport in America; there are over 13 million current and active players. It’s a very fun sport, a very active sport, a very community-oriented sport, and it is taking the whole Coachella Valley and Hi-Desert by storm.”
Yucca Valley currently has two facilities for pickleball; four tennis courts at Jacob’s Park were converted to pickleball courts, in addition to one additional court at Paradise Park. The town is looking to expand resources for the sport; Phase 1 of the Community Center Athletic Facility project includes 14 new pickleball courts, making the Community Center the central place to play once construction is completed next spring. However, if you want to get involved with the sport, you do not need to wait until then to do so.
“There’s information online, and we also have a pickleball clinic that is run by one of our instructors, Clint Stoker. He is a pickleball ambassador in our region, and he’s very knowledgeable. We have a clinic every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Jacob’s Park. We supply paddles and balls; just make sure you bring water and comfortable shoes, and we can have a lot of fun.”
You can listen to Gary’s full conversation with Clayton Rardon and Jakub Kusmieruk by downloading the Up Close Show as a podcast.
