You gotta try the pickleball league

Zeeland Recreation  |  616-748-3230  |  zps.org/z-recreation/adult/pickleball

By Elly DeVries, publisher at Urban St.

Back in June, I started playing in a women’s pickleball league through Zeeland’s recreation department. I’m not exactly new to pickleball — I started playing last fall while I was on a family vacation. My brother-in-law was a pickleballer and he convinced us all to give it a try. One game and all of us were hooked — we play every chance we get! 

It’s a strange name and no, there are no pickles involved. It’s a paddlesport that’s been described as a cross between pingpong and tennis. It’s a fairly easy sport to learn, and it’s a great way to stay active, meet new people and have some fun.

In my league, I play on Tuesday nights from 6–7:30 p.m. at Huizenga Park in Zeeland. We play three matches each time. The league, called a Ladder League (better players move up the ladder, less-skilled players move down), is a four-week program. 

There are four courts (A, B, C and D), and the goal is to score as many cumulative points as you possibly can over the four-week season; there’s also another program scheduled for August.

I signed up to get more play time and to improve my pickleball game. And there was a nice bonus — I got to meet and get to know other women players from the area. For more information on the league’s rules and how to sign up, visit zps.org/z-recreation/adult/pickleball.

Check out these local pickleball courts:

Huizenga Park
350 Royal Park Drive, Zeeland

Moran Park
22nd St. and Pine Ave., Holland

Schultz Park
301 Riverview Drive, Douglas

Mulligan’s Hollow
Mulligan Drive, Grand Haven

Port Sheldon Township Hall
16201 Port Sheldon St., West Olive