• Beth Kendrick is a pickleball ace and she has the medals to prove it
by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
Twenty years ago while visiting friends in Florida, Beth and Mickey Kendrick were looking for a pop-up tennis match when they stumbled upon a relatively new game that over the past two decades has emerged as America’s fastest-growing sport.
“I was still playing with USTA [United States Tennis Association] and was looking for a game when we saw this mob of people,” said Beth. The Kendricks asked what was going on and folks at The Villages explained it was a pickleball tournament.
“We’d never seen it [played] before,” she said.
Well it didn’t take long for the skilled tennis player to become a convert to the sport, which combines the elements of badminton, tennis and ping-pong. Players used a paddle that’s similar to an oversized table tennis paddle to hit a perforated plastic ball. It’s played on a court slightly smaller than a tennis court and is great for people of all ages and skill levels.
Beth’s skill level is slightly better than most. She’s collected nearly 75 medals in the sport over the past 15 years.
• Places to play pickleball
Those looking for a public pickleball court will find numerous options in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.
There are four courts at the Irvington Commons, 98 King Carter Drive, Irvington. They are open daily with group play most Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.
The Northern Neck Family YMCA, 39 William B. Graham Court, Kilmarnock, and the Northumberland Family YMCA, 6348 Northumberland Highway, Heathsville, have indoor courts. YMCA members can play for free. Most YMCAs also offer a non-member fee to play.
Tides Inn, 480 King Carter Drive, Irvington, also has four outdoor courts. A one-time fee is required to play.
Other nearby courts include:
• Richmond County
Rappahannock Community College, 52 Campus Drive, Warsaw. Four lighted courts. Open 24 hours, seven days a week.
• Essex County
Central Park, 234 Virginia Street, Tappahannock. Three courts. Open dawn until dusk.
Essex Intermediate School, 912 Intermediate School Circle, Tappahannock. Offered from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through August 1. Free. No registration required.
• Middlesex County
Deltaville Community Park, 17147 General Puller Highway, Deltaville. Four courts.
Tom Carter Memorial Gymnasium, Cooks Corner Complex, 2898 General Puller Highway, Saluda. Indoor courts, open 9 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and Saturdays, 6-8 p.m. Thursdays. Contact Karen Reed, Middlesex Parks & Recreation, 804-758-0057.
For a comprehensive list of places to play across Virginia and nationwide, search these useful pickleball apps: Pickleheads, Places2play Pickleball, Pickleball+.
• Paddle by the Bay pickleball tournament registration opens
The 2024 Paddle by the Bay pickleball tournament will be held August 9-11 at Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club, 362 Club Drive, Kilmarnock, and Northern Neck Family YMCA, 39 William B. Graham Court, Kilmarnock. Competition will begin at 9 a.m.
The tournament is sponsored by the American Red Cross, Rappahannock Chapter, and proceeds will benefit operations of the chapter, reported Porter Washington.
The registration fee is $75. Register at PickleballBrackets.com.
