Ridgewood Parks & Recreation Unveils New Glen School Pickleball Courts

photos courtesy of Ridgewood Parks & Recreation

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The four new permanent pickleball courts at Glen School are amazing! Watch for our instructional offerings next spring and have fun learning this fastest growing adult sport.

Pickleball is a paddle sport played with a whiffle ball on a badminton-sized court and a tennis-style net. A non-volley zone (or kitchen) prevents volleys close to the net, and the serving team cannot volley the return of serve. These unique rules favor players with less mobility and allow senior players to compete successfully with younger competitors.

Pickleball is enjoyed by people of all ages and athletic abilities thanks to its ease of play and straightforward rules. The sport is inexpensive, social and healthy, and has been widely accepted in school gyms, fire stations, community centers, local parks, athletic clubs and thousands of backyard sports courts. In some ways it’s a combination of tennis and badminton, and along with sports such as table tennis and racquetball, pickleball has exploded in popularity. Thousands of pickleball courts have been built in recent years, especially in senior communities.

Pickleball’s requirements are fairly minimal when it comes to equipment. Paddle faces are made of wood, composites or graphite. Overall, paddles are roughly 8” wide and 15” long with hard, smooth surfaces. Balls are made of hard plastic with holes and are similar in size to baseballs. Nets are 34” high in the center. Courts are 20 feet wide and 40’ long. Four pickleball courts can fit in the same area used for a single tennis court.