12-16-2023 9:19pm

Created By Pickleheads For Pickleheads

Beth Callahan Editor

LEBANON, OH -- By now, almost everyone has heard the word pickleball. And if you haven't, now that you are reading this article and if you continue to read it, you will learn how pickleball has nothing to do with pickles, but it is a game that needs a ball, players and a court.

Played with perforated plastic ball that is hit with composite or wooden paddles about twice the size of ping-pong paddles or about the size of a racquetball racquet, it can be played both inside and outside. A pickleball court is the size of a badminton court, which is smaller than a tennis court, and its net's center height should be at 34 inches.

While the sport was created in 1965, it really took off during the pandemic of 2020 as people were looking for an outdoor exercise that included socialization as well as social distancing. From August 2021 to August 2022 more than 36.5 million people played pickleball according to a report broadcast on CNBC from the Association of Pickleball Professionals. And according to Sports & Fitness Industry Associaiton (SFIA), pickleball continues its incredible rise in America and remains the fastest-growing sport. There’s even a push to make pickleball an Olympic sport by 2030.

Pickleball players can come off as though they are addicted to the game to an outsider. For many "picklers," standing at a court waiting for a group of strangers to ask them to join them in play is not strange at all. And traveling with a pickleball bag with paddle and balls, with the hope and anticipation that they will find a court, as well as, some other "picklers" to play, is just as normal as packing one's clothes and cellphone.

There is good news for that pickleball player who is always looking for courts as they travel across the U.S. or just needing to find more courts around their home. To help the searching "pickler," a group of “Pickleheads," as they call themselves, got together and created a digital home for pickleball players... www.pickleheads.com. It is a FREE digital community for pickleball players. And, it's not just for finding courts, it's for finding others who want to play, ways to improve your game and pickleball gear.

"Our site covers all things pickleball, and we've been watching the sport grow like crazy in Lebanon," said Brandon Mackie, co-founder of Pickleheads based in Arizona.

Mackie got hold of the WarrenCountyPost to let Warren County residents, who are "pickleheads" themselves, know about the free app and website his group has created.

"So far, we’ve profiled over 14,901 pickleball courts in 5,788 cities across the US," Mackie said.

The site is very user friendly and free. To find courts, a person just needs to type in their location, and if there are any pickleball courts in designated area, they pop up as blue makers as seen in picture above.

When "upcoming games near you" is clicked, it opens a page that shares where there is open play, what time games will be being played, and where and what level of play the player needs to be.