At 8 o'clock on a bright and sunny July morning, every court was full at Sioux City's Riverside Park.
Were office workers looking to get in a fast tennis match before heading into the office? Well, not exactly.
Instead, the courts were filled with pickleball players. Some of the participants were old and some were young. Yet they were all obsessed with a sport that has a very funny name.
Contrary to popular belief, pickleball is not played with a green cucumber nor are players rewarded with a sour Gherkin after scoring a point.
Todd Young reaches to hit the ball while playing pickleball at the Riverside Park pickleball courts.
Todd Neff hits the ball while playing pickleball.
If you didn't know, pickleball is a paddleball sport which combines elements of badminton, ping-pong and tennis.Â
Normally played as singles or as doubles (as in two teams of two) with paddles and a perforated plastic ball on a court separated by a net, the sport was invented in 1965 by avid sportsman Joel Pritchard.
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So, how did the sport acquire such a tart name? Pritchard's dog was named "Pickles." It's been speculated that the game was named after the pooch.
What we can confirm is the fact that pickleball is very popular. It has been named America's fastest-growing sport every year since 2021 by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. With an estimated 4.8 million players, it is easy to see why.
Such A-listers as Leonardo DiCaprio, Drew Barrymore and Billie Eilish are all known for their pickleball prowess.
Cheri Van Valkingburg, left, and pickleball partner Theresa Weaver wait for the ball at the Riverside Park pickleball courts.
Cheri Van Valkingburg likes the exercise pickleball affords.Â
So is Cheri Van Valkingburg, a Sioux City-based Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant, who plays pickleball with her friend Theresa Weaver on the Riverside Courts as often as five days a week.
"I've been playing pickleball for about four years and I think Theresa started about the same time I did," Van Valkingberg said.
"We like coming out first thing in the morning," Weaver, the curator of education for the Sioux City Public Museum, explained. "That way, we can get our workout out of the way before heading into work."
Don't underestimated how strenuous pickleball can be with two competitive players like Weaver and Van Valkingburg.
"Our courts are about half the length of a tennis court," Van Valkingburg said, "but you still have to be on your toes."
Theresa Weaver says the courts are smaller than those used for tennis, but pickleball still provides a good workout.Â
She credited the 450 members of the Siouxland Pickleball Association for their advocacy of the sport.
"The association hosts training seminars as well as tournaments throughout Siouxland," Weaver said. "We currently have as many as 10 or 15 places to play pickleball in the area and I think that's due, in large part, to them."
Luckily, pickleballers tend to be a friendly bunch.
"I didn't know Theresa before pickleball," Van Valkingburg said. "We met while playing the sport and have been friends ever since."
"That is because pickleball isn't an intimidating sport," Weaver said. "You don't have to be a star athlete to enjoy the sport."
A pickleball paddle is different than a tennis racquet, but has similar functions.Â
However, a competitive spirit doesn't hurt.
"I was involved in sports when I was younger and so was Theresa," Van Valkingburg said. "As you get older, there are fewer and fewer sports to engage in. Pickleball fills that void."
Apparently, the sport has appeal to a wide range of ages.
"I've been playing pickleball for a while and I certainly don't consider myself a great player," Van Valkingburg said. "I'm getting in shape by participating in a sport that I like.
"That is beneficial, no matter how old you are," she said with a smile.
