Pickleball Growing in Godfrey

By Stephen Kern

skern@lc.edu

 

The Village of Godfrey is adding more pickleball courts with the new Glazebrook Park expansion! 

Over the summer, a local group of pickleball players got together with the director of the Godfrey Parks and Recreation Department, Todd Strubhart, along with the Athletics Department of Lewis and Clark Community College, for some pickleball action. Together they transformed two of the tennis courts on the Lewis and Clark campus into pickleball courts. 

The Mayor of Godfrey, Michael McCormick, and his wife, Linda, showed up as well. “I’m so pleased to be able to bring this new activity to the community and especially to the residents of Godfrey,” said McCormick. Since then, the Village of Godfrey voted to add four new pickleball courts with the expansion of Glazebrook Park.

What is pickleball? Pickleball is a paddleball sport that combines aspects of table tennis, tennis, and badminton. The game is played using paddles made of wood or other composite materials and a polymer ball similar to a wiffle ball. It can be played with two to four people and is enjoyed by all ages and skill levels. 

A pickleball court is the same size as a double badminton court. It has a net in the middle of the court, like tennis, only a little bit smaller. The height of the net is 36 inches tall on the sidelines and 34 inches tall in the middle. On each side of the net, the first seven feet is often called the “kitchen” and is a non-volley zone. The rules of pickleball are similar to tennis and table tennis with a few specific changes. 

Keep an eye out for the completion of the Glazebrook Park expansion if you are interested in playing some pickleball.

 

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