What began as three dads creating a new game to entertain their children on a hot summer day at the park in 1965 has turned into one of the fastest-growing sports in America. In 2023, there are an estimated 48.3 million pickleball players in the United States, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP).
Janet Phillips of Fredericksburg is just one of those players.
“One of my favorite things about playing pickleball is that it takes a minute to learn but a lifetime to master,” Phillips said. “It’s a good way to socialize with others and make friends while getting some exercise for relatively cheap, if not free.”
Pickleball is a cross between table tennis, badminton, and tennis and can be played on tennis or badminton courts. A single tennis or badminton court can be divided into two separate courts for pickleball players, and the game can be played as singles or doubles.
“Over the years, I always leaned more towards tennis when playing any sports but I tried pickleball about seven years ago and found my niche,” Phillips said. “I like that the courts are smaller and it’s truly become a community around here.”
There are several options for players in the Fredericksburg region, both indoors and outdoors, making it easy to play during the winter or rainy seasons.
Kenmore Park has five dedicated courts with permanent lines and nets, free of charge, that can be reserved through the Parks and Recreation Office. Kenmore Park, located at 1401 Kenmore Avenue, is open from 6 a.m to 10 p.m. year-round.
The University of Mary Washington rents out tennis courts at the University Tennis Center to those who wish to play pickleball at $5 for a two-hour block. The University Tennis Center is located at 1200 Hanover Street and the hours can be found on the website.
“We decided to open up more tennis courts for pickleball over the summer,” said Patrick Catullo, athletic director for UMW. “Then we started to promote it to the community through various groups and organizations to spread the word.”
Located in Spotsylvania on 8800 Courthouse Road, the Marshall Center Gym offers indoor pickleball for $3 per county resident/$4 for non-residents Mondays-Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
The Stafford Courthouse Community Center has two indoor courts for pickleball with permanent lines and portable nets for a one-time fee. It is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and is located on 29 Stafford Avenue.
The Jeff Rouse Swim and Sports Center, located in Stafford on 1600 Mine Road, also offers three indoor pickleball courts with permanent lines and portable nets. It does require a membership to use the facilities, and the hours can be located here.
For those who wish to play indoors, the indoor club The Picklr will open Oct. 19 on Plank Road in Fredericksburg. The Picklr has 10 indoor courts with outdoor surfacing, along with ball machines, locker rooms with showers and a pro shop.
“The Picklr is exclusively a pickleball club and we wanted to bring something to Fredericksburg that we don’t have,” said Brad Williams, club coordinator. “We are bringing that true outdoor surface to an indoor facility so players don’t have to play indoors on a basketball court or another setting they aren’t used to.”
The Picklr offers tiered memberships with monthly and annual payment options that allow for unlimited use of all 10 courts for open and competitive play as well as tournaments and leagues, and access to all 275 Picklr locations.
