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Ah, Pickleball. It may have a funny name, but don’t be deceived. It’s no laughing matter, especially when someone twice your age utterly defeats you in a matter of minutes. Okay, maybe that is a little funny. And it’s also part of the beauty of the game. That is, you don’t have to be an ultra-conditioned athlete to play pickleball …and win!

So, what the heck IS pickleball, you ask? Chances are, you’ve seen a pickleball court or two in your RV travels. Over the past couple years, RV parks all over North America have been building courts, and then even more courts, trying to keep up with the pickleball craze.

Pickleball is what happens when you take the best parts of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, and wrap them up into their own addictive game. You’ll cover less ground in pickleball than tennis since the court’s smaller. You’ll use a gentle underhand serve that doesn’t take years of practice to master, unlike the technical difficulty of the tennis serve. And probably my FAVORITE part of pickleball is the weirdly satisfying “THWONK!” sound the small whiffle ball makes as it hits the composite graphite paddle just perfectly.

James and I were just at a pickleball event this morning, and as we left filled with energy and excitement from the whole experience, we decided we want EVERYONE to try pickleball, at least once, we like it that much! Here are all the benefits we came up with why you need to join in on the pickleball fun:

1. Any age can play. Pickleball is a one-size-fits-all friendly sport and all are welcome.

2. You’ll get a workout: And you don’t have to like exercise to love pickleball!

4. You’ll get to “play” and be social. We don’t play enough as we age! Studies show that socially active adults have better overall health.

5. It’s RV-friendly. The paddle and ball easily fit in even the tiniest Class B, and RV parks everywhere have courts.

6. It’s just so freaking fun! You have to take my word on this one, folks. But, there’s definitely a positive, friendly vibe no matter where you play. Everyone’s happy, welcoming, and helpful with newbies.

7. You’ll live longer. BAM! I should have just put this one as number 1, and left it at that, because I had you with “live longer,” right? RIGHT?! Who doesn’t want to live longer? Research shows that a) exercise, b) playing, and c) socializing all add years to our lives. Pickleball has all 3 life-extending components. That’s some pretty potent medicine.

So, have I got you interested?!? I sure hope so. Usually, RV parks with courts have pickleball paddles to loan out, but you can buy your own for a pretty reasonable price, too. You can find out more about pickleball and check for local places to play by visiting the USA Pickleball Association.

And I really really REALLY hope we’ll bump into you on a pickleball court somewhere someday soon!