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Briarwood Day Camp is home to a vast collection of outdoor activities that our campers know and love. But perhaps the most intriguing new game shares a name with a favorite camp food – Pickleball. Even the name is fun!
Pickleball has swept the nation in recent years and Briarwood is no different! In the summer of 2022 we unveiled our new pickleball courts for our campers to enjoy. It was incredible to see campers of all ages having fun and utilizing the new space. Now, you may be asking, “what in the world even is pickleball?” That’s a great question! Let’s dive into the basics.
Pickleball is, in many ways, like tennis. There are two sides of the court, cut horizontally by a 3-foot tall net in the middle and split vertically to create two boxes on each side. Teams of two (doubles is much more common than singles) use wooden paddles to hit a durable plastic ball back and forth across the net. The paddles are similar to a tennis racquet, with the strings swapped out for a wooden board. The lightweight paddles make it ideal for players of all skills levels. The pickleball is similar to a wiffleball, nice and light, and it is easy to hit due to its inability to travel too fast.
Players rally off the serve, attempting to gain points by having the ball bounce twice on their opponent’s side of the court or if their opponent hits the ball into the net or outside the court – again much like tennis. Serves need to be in the opposing box. Games are to 11, win by two.
Pickleball is great because it can be played by people young or old, tall or short, fit or less fit. It’s fun, it’s friendly and the game moves quickly.
At Briarwood, our love for pickleball goes beyond the athletic nature of the game. What makes us smile is when we see kids as young as four years old smiling and laughing with their friends and counselors on the court. Whether you love running, jumping, swinging, serving, laughing, smiling or anything in between, chances are pickleball is for you.
Pickleball is a catalyst for happy times spent at camp with friends and that’s why we love it- we know you will too! Can’t wait to play pickleball again this summer!