Have you ever heard about Pickleball?

Hi, I am Lidiya Jacobson, the Rehoboth Pickleball Club (RPC) activity director, and I would like to introduce the residents of Rehoboth and surrounding communities to the increasingly popular sport of PICKLEBALL.

Have you ever heard about Pickleball?
I know, I know. When I mention the name of this game, people usually respond with very suspicious strange and disapproving looks and ask: “You said Pick-A-Ball? What is that?”

Well, I am delighted to tell you more about the sport, how I developed a passion for it, and why you should consider the game of Pickleball.
It is a fun game for 2 or 4 players that can be played outside and inside on a badminton-sized court with a net. The ball is a variation of a wiffle ball, and the paddles are square with rounded corners. It is a combination of elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong.
It is the fastest growing sport in America with an estimated 400,000 active players, including the oldest one of 90 years of age. The rules are simple and easy to learn. Its popularity has been booming across the nation and all over the world because people of all ages and abilities can play this fun game The game appeals to so many people because while it is good exercise it is not physically strenuous, and it is a competitive sport that is easy to learn while also providing great social opportunities.

My husband Peter and I had not heard of it either until we became familiar with it at our new Florida residence. After years of working and raising families, at last, we could devote ourselves to relaxation and recreation, and so we relished the variety of leisurely hobbies, pastimes, and restorative daily activities in our Florida community. But none of these pursuits would be as dramatic a change in our life style as playing PICKLEBALL was! The sport of Pickleball, the most fabulous thing that happened to us. This captivating sport made us get up early, play for 2 hours in the morning, and 2 hours in the afternoon 5 days a week. As a result, we felt stronger, more physically fit, agile, and lighter on our feet.
We became more comfortable in our own skins and our souls uplifted!

Yes, we not only improved the physical and strategic aspects of our game, but also gained better reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and the benefits of great teamwork and networking with hundreds of different people; for the first time in our lives we could add special time for fun for us and not just the daily required and sometimes mundane tasks and duties of life!

In May we were back in Massachusetts and seeking opportunities to continue to play this exciting game of Pickleball.
We discovered no place to play Pickleball, and no one who played it in our area. Seriously?

The closest organized club I could find was Quincy and Braintree. So I went and played there, and even participated in the Quincy Senior Olympic Games of 2015. Even traveling an hour each way did not stop me, but the feeling “why they can do this and why can’t we?” this sentiment really was eating me inside.

Since Peter and I were taught this sport by volunteers (which is usually the case with Pickleball countrywide), we felt we should pay it forward. We felt we owed our town the knowledge of the game and the chance to make this sport prosper here.

My passion became an obsession. I first started to spread the word about this new game in Rehoboth by talking to people during social gatherings, at the senior centers, in the movies, at the post offices, playing cards and dice, at schools and businesses; I also focused on putting information on the internet and creating flyers and putting them everywhere. The second goal was to build a team of players. And finally, the third task was to find the place to play the game, and be able to mark and paint the lines of the Pickleball court.

Guess what? It happened much faster and more extensively then I had ever imagined in my dream goals!

I am so happy to say that we now have a Rehoboth Pickleball Club with 4 Pickleball courts (one behind the old Anawan School on Bay State Road and three at Nike Park off Peck Street), 20 current members, and also many new people willing to try out the game and learn to play Pickleball.
All of this could not have happened without my husband, Peter Jacobson‘s devotion to this club, Beth&Joe Hamilton’s initiative and participation, the great support and understanding from Rehoboth Park Commission, Rehoboth Senior Center, Rehoboth Highway Department, the Rehoboth Selectmen, and everybody we contacted in Rehoboth.

Thank you to everyone, who has made this possible!

On the final note, I have to add one more thought of mine: as a native of a city with population of a million plus, I used to think that a big city was the only best place to live. However, recently and especially during this past month my opinion changed;

I have experienced the greatest privilege of the small town with a huge heart - our Rehoboth community demonstrating admirable fellowship and generosity.

My dear friends, welcome to our new Rehoboth Pickleball Club:
Mondays & Thursdays 4-6pm at Nike Park;
Tuesdays, Wednesdays 8.30-10am at Old Anawan School
Time and days can be changed according to club members’ comfort and weather condition.
The club provides everything you need for the learning sessions but sneakers.
So, get comfortable sneakers and let’s start moving towards the first Rehoboth-Attleboro tournament on July 14, 2015!

If you have any questions or ready to join in the fun call or text: (508)272-0842.

Sincerely,
Lidiya Y. Jacobson
RPC Activity Director