Most students at Case Western Reserve University don’t think about sports much. Since high school, many of us haven’t touched a racket or basketball. Being an NCAA Division III school gives a more academically inclined campus atmosphere.
There are ways to de-stress. Sports and exercising are some of the best ways to get in shape. If you are looking for a place to work out on your own, the Veale Recreation Center is a great place to start, but if you are looking for a place to play sports, CWRU has a lot of options.
The Department of Physical Education and Athletics houses non-varsity organizations that participate in intercollegiate athletic competition. These groups are well known. There are some organizations that don’t fly under the banner of Club Sports. The Pickleball Club will be spotlighted today.
Unless you are an enthusiast or taking the PE class for credit, you’ve probably never heard of the sport. The sport was named the official state sport of Washington this year and is the fastest growing sport in the US. A game that blends aspects of tennis, badminton and ping-pong is appealing to those of differing ages and physical abilities, but it can quickly evolve into a highly competitive and strategic sport.
The game is played on a court that is less than one-third the size of a tennis court, with two 7-foot areas on either side of the net being declared as non-volley zones where the ball can’t be hit with the paddle unless it bounces first. All serves are made with an underhand stroke and do not bounce off the court. After the serve, each side needs to hit the ball before it bounces, known as a ground-stroke. When the opponent commits a fault, such as hitting the ball out of bounds or into the net, points can only be scored by the serving side. They fault the serving side until they stop. You need to score 11 points and have a two point lead to win.
There are over four million players in the US and thousands of tournaments, including the US Open Pickleball Championship. The students created an organization for interested students.
CWRU students can enjoy an athletic sport while playing a paddle sport in the Pickleball Club, which is recognized by the undergraduate student government.
According to co-president Jonathan Stevens, the goal of the club is for students to have fun and improve their skills at pickleball while also joining a community of people who have a common interest. A place for people who love the sport to come out and play is what we hope to provide.
The Veale Center fieldhouse is where practices take place. Multiple doubles King of the Court games are happening at the same time in these sessions. There are about three teams that play games on each court. The team that wins stays on the court.
The club hosted tournaments for club members. Team trips to tournaments against local colleges such as Ohio State University, Miami University and Robert Morris University are planned by the organization.
The club will be holding a lot of social bonding events during the semester. There is a plan to hold an outdoor cookout where members can enjoy good food and company while also playing some casual rounds of pickleball.
To join the club, interested students should join the club’s Campus Groups page and the GroupMe to keep up to date on the latest practice times and events. The organization has spare paddles for students without personal equipment, and there are no requirements to join.
Stevens said that club members are expected to come out to play with a positive attitude.
You can reach out to co-presidents Jonathan Stevens and Melina Peshoff.
Pickleballclub’s website is at community.case.edu.
You can follow the CWrupickleball on social media.
GroupMe is a website that allows people to join a group.