With the hot summer-temperatures subsiding, the time has come to play (or learn) pickleball outside. All you need is a paddle, since other “pickup players” who you meet at the courts will have pickleballs. (You can also buy an inexpensive pickleball set of four paddles and balls through Amazon.)
Play for free at Plymouth’s two principal public courts:
- Forges Field with 6 outdoor courts far from annoying any homeowners with the “ping” sound. (Take Jordan Road to Forges Field Road, pass all the fields for soccer, baseball, and softball, and look for the Pickleball Courts sign at the very end of the road.)
- Stephens Field, completely redone by the Town, has 4 pickleball courts (and 3 tennis courts) within a park that sits beside the waterfront and looks out at Plymouth Long Beach. (Take Sandwich St. – aka Rte. 3A – and turn onto Union St. Stephens Field parking is immediately in front of you to the right of the pickleball and tennis courts.)
The Old Colony YMCA in South Plymouth, within the Redbrook community, offers outdoor pickleball courts with membership.
Pay to play indoors:
When the weather turns brisk, consider playing at Village Sports Club, a private facility at 30 Golf Drive that abuts Pinehills and is off Beaver Dam Road. Village Sports offers 9 indoor and 4 outdoor pickleball courts. Membership is required to partake in all the Club’s classes and facilities (including indoor pool). However, pickleball drop-in hours are offered for non-members at $15 each day. Drop-in hours: Monday-Friday, 9-11 am and 12:30-2:30 pm, and Sunday, 12:30-2:30 pm. (Village Sports Club full membership: $110 monthly and $150 per couple.)
“There are three types of pickleball players,” says Steve Dubin, head of Plymouth’s PR Work Zone. Dubin lives in downtown Plymouth “on campus” and can often be found on local courts. He jokes: “1) Players who talk the entire time. 2) Players who help others with instructions the entire time, and 3) Players who cheat on whether a ball lands in or out.”
As we know, pickleball is not just for senior geezers, but transcends all generations. A Plymouth mom, at Stephens Field with her two young kids, said her offspring just got back from summer camp, which provided pickleball lessons.
Mobile-phone social-networking applications exist to help you find nearby pickleball games at your skill level. The TeamReach and Pickleheads iPhone apps appear to be the most popular and community-friendly. The apps enable players to discover courts near them, join or organize games, and manage groups – all in one place. They are also used to find games when travelling out of town.
Back in Plymouth, will we see you on the courts? And don’t pull a muscle or sprain an ankle; this isn’t tennis after all! (Smiley-face emoji)