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Group of Saultites travel to U.S., win medals for getting pickled (5 photos)

Sport known as pickleball, described as ‘ping pong on steroids,’ gaining popularity, local player Gene Santoro says

A group of nine Sault athletes won a total of 11 medals in the 7th Annual Great Lakes Open Pickleball Tournament, held Sept. 14 to 16 in Traverse City, Michigan.

“It’s becoming really organized now,” said Gene Santoro, Sault pickleball player and one of the chief organizers for Saultites who enjoy the game.

Gene won a gold medal in men’s doubles and a silver in mixed doubles (in the 60 and over age group) at the Traverse City tournament.

An increasing number of people are starting to hear about pickleball, but just what exactly is it?

“I would describe pickleball as a scaled down version of tennis, or ping pong on steroids,” chuckled Gene, speaking to SooToday.

“It’s basically like tennis. The strokes are basically the same, you use the same kind of motions, you have your backhand and your forehand, you have to cover the court like you do in tennis, you have the net...the biggest difference is the size of the court and the type of ball you’re using.”

“You use something like a ping pong paddle but it’s a little bigger, about twice the size in length. The ball we use is the same size as a tennis ball, but it’s got holes in it like a practice golf ball...the court is 42 feet long, it’s the same size as a badminton court,” Gene said.

The sport has been described as one for seniors to enjoy, but Gene said “anybody can play. It doesn’t have a ‘macho’ name that would induce young people to play it, but it’s gaining popularity all over the place. Down in Florida and Arizona there are a lot of people playing the game. Up here it’s just starting to catch on with even the seniors, but we have some 20 and 30-year-olds and they love it.”

“There are very few dedicated pickleball courts here in town. There are hundreds of them down in Florida, California and the southern States, and in southern Ontario.”

Gene, a well-known Sault photographer and retired school teacher who started playing pickleball in 2014, said the sport provides a good, total body workout, providing players the choice of playing as hard as they want to, or as easy as they have to.

“I used to play squash four or five times a week at the Y (Sault YMCA), and one day my squash partner couldn’t make it, and I peeked in on a pickleball game,” Gene accepting an offer from players to join in.

“I started playing it, and I play it more than I play squash now...about five times a week.”

The sport is generally for doubles (men’s, ladies and mixed), but also has single players, with both age categories and open categories.

“We’re in the process of starting up a local pickleball association. We’re kind of a scattered group, but we’re trying to focus on getting a place where we can all gather and play together and form one group,” Gene said.

“The problem right now is we don’t have enough facilities.”

The more competitive pickleball group, which traveled to Traverse City, plays at the Sault YMCA and has access to two courts, Gene said, but the Y is open only to its members.

Because of that, Gene said “we have eight players playing, and eight to 10 players waiting (at the Y).”

However, the Sault YMCA allows daytime access to players for five days a week (since the school year began in September), plus Sundays, Gene said.

Another, larger, not-as-competitive group, heading into the winter season, enjoys playing at F.H. Clergue French Immersion School three times a week, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

That group has approximately 80 people signed up, Gene said.

Other pickleball groups play at the George Leach Centre, the Senior Citizens Drop In Centre, and on St. Joseph Island.

Between the various groups, Gene estimated up to 140 Sault and area players are getting ‘pickled.’

Gene added some tennis courts at public parks operated by the city, which could be used by pickleballers, have not been well-maintained over the years.

“A lot of them have cracks in them and grass growing through them. And I think a lot of kids haven’t been playing tennis as much, unless it’s on the computer,” Gene chuckled, though he said the city has repaired a court on Shannon Road and another near the old William Merrifield Public School for pickleballers and others to use.

“In other cities they’re converting tennis courts into pickleball courts. Our city’s been good, they’ve painted pickleball lines into tennis courts, but if the courts have cracks all over the place, it’s discouraging,” Gene said.

“(But) if we got another facility where we have eight courts, all the groups could congregate there.”

“It would be wonderful if we had a place where all of us could congregate,” Gene said, stating in such an environment, more experienced players could coach other, less experienced players along.

“We’re going to try to lobby the city to give us one dedicated outdoor pickleball facility...with six to eight pickleball courts and washroom facilities nearby (while keeping the current indoor facilities as well, essential in winter).”

Sault winners at the 7th Annual Great Lakes Open Pickleball Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan included:

  • Mike Prpich and Gene Santoro – gold in men’s doubles, 60 and over age group
  • Lori Heacock-Zorzit and Gene Santoro – silver in mixed doubles, 60 and over age group
  • Ellen Eddy and Ann Campana – silver in women’s doubles, 60 and over age group
  • Rob Eddy and Dave Peddle – bronze in men’s doubles, 60 and over age group
  • Lori Heacock-Zorzit and Janet Prpich – bronze in women’s doubles
  • Ann Campana and Dennis Robison – bronze in mixed doubles, 35 and over age group

“We expect an even larger group to travel to Traverse City to participate in this well-run, fun tournament next year,” Gene said.

“It makes me feel really good because the Sault is a small community when it comes to pickleball, and this stops us from getting into a lull.”

Last but not least, where did the name ‘pickleball’ originate?

“There are a couple of theories behind that,” Gene said.

The sport, which started up in 1965 near Seattle, is thought by some to be named after one of the players dogs, named ‘Pickles.’

Others say it is named after the term ‘pickle boat,’ a less-than-complimentary name for the last vessel to finish in yacht races.

Funny name for a sport notwithstanding, anyone interested in learning about pickleball may contact Gene Santoro by email at [email protected] or check out the players enjoying the sport at Clergue on game nights, or take a peek at pickleball matches held at the Sault YMCA.


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Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
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