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Pickleball: Warrenton man relishes challenge of spreading new sport
Pickleball.
It’s not the latest product line from Vlasic. It’s a game Morris Wheat hopes will add spice to the sporting pallet of the Fauquier County community.
Wheat, a Warrenton resident, was introduced to pickleball in 2006 around his winter home at Indian Creek RV Resort in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., and believes it would be a perfect recreational activity for local residents of all ages. He has secured a court at Auburn Middle School and begun trying to recruit interested players.
“It’s really a sport that can start in the schools and go all the way through your life,” Wheat said. “This is a good game that families can play, youth can play and seniors can play…It’s a life-long thing.”
Pickleball is a game similar to tennis, but it’s played on a badminton court with lowered nets using wood or composite pallets and something similar to a whiffle ball. It’s usually played by men's, women's or mixed doubles teams.
“It’s a good lead-in game for tennis,” Wheat said. “It’s a good hand-eye coordination game for youth…Tennis players really like it and enjoy the competition.”
Pickleball was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, a congressman from the state of Washington, and businessman Bill Bell, according to the USA Pickleball Association Web site. The game got its unusual name because the Pritchards’ cocker spaniel, Pickles, ran off with the ball any time it was hit near him. One of Pritchard’s goals was to create a game the whole family could play.
Wheat, 75, got a late introduction to pickleball, but has added it to an exercise routine focused on biking.
“I’m not really an athlete and I’m not the best pickleball player, but it’s a fun game that everybody can participate in,” he said.
And everywhere Wheat looks in Fauquier County, he sees recruiting opportunities, especially with kids. He’s talked to neighbors, eyed soccer players at the park and even looked in a local pool...
See the Wednesday print edition of the Fauquier Times-Democrat for the complete story.
For more information about pickleball in Fauquier County, contact Morris Wheat at (540) 347-1440.
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