By Amalia Kortright, For The Tribune
TRUSSVILLE — CrossPoint Church is holding their first Pickleball Demonstration and Clinic on May 26 at 6:30 p.m., where participants can be taught the rules and techniques of playing pickleball by experienced instructors. They will also open their gym to participants every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. In addition, those who are interested can call ahead for opportunities to play during the day.
According to organizer and U.S.A. Pickleball Association ambassador Jarick Rager, pickleball is a combination of ping-pong, racquetball and tennis. Pickleball is typically played on a badminton court with no more than two people on a team. Each player uses an oversized ping-pong paddle, which is about the size of a racquetball racquet, and there is also a seven-foot zone around the net where players cannot hit the ball.
The rules to pickleball are simple: each team flips a coin to determine who serves first. Every serve must be underhanded. Players are supposed to let the ball bounce once on their side of the court before hitting it. The team that reaches 11 points first wins.
“It’s like playing ping-pong, but you’re standing on the table,” said Rager.
Rager said that CrossPoint is using pickleball as a way to reach out to all members of the community.
“Come out. It’s free, and we’ll have all the equipment that you need,” said Rager.
Rager was first introduced to pickleball four years ago in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee while visiting relatives, and has been hoping to share it with others ever since. Pickleball. according to Rager, is becoming more popular throughout the Birmingham area. There are now four different places to play in around Birmingham, where there were none eight months ago.
“It’s one of those sports were you play one time and become addicted to it,” said Rager.
For more information, call CrossPoint Church at (205) 655-0364 or Jarick Rager at (205) 508-0003.