'Pickled': Pittsburgh area home to one of the biggest Pickleball leagues in the country
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Celebrities are facing off in a comedy pickleball tournament on CBS called "Pickled," so KDKA decided to have a mini-tournament of our own.
KDKA's Kristine Sorensen recruited Heather Abraham, Mary Ours and Royce Jones to join her; but first, they had to learn how to play. And through the process, they learned one of the biggest pickleball leagues in the country is right here in our area.
A quick 30-minute lesson was all Heather, Mary, Royce and Kristine needed to be good enough to play a game of pickleball.
It wasn't always pretty. There were a few wiffs, a few smashes into the net, and players diving, sliding and collapsing on the ground, but there was lots of laughing, especially after the cameraman got hit on the head with a ball, which thankfully is soft like a Wiffle ball.
All four got bit by the pickleball bug.
"It's addicting. I want to come back," Royce said.
"You gotta do it. It's great," Mary added.
So why is pickleball the fastest growing sport in the country? There are lots of reasons. It's easy to learn; all ages and abilities can play; it's social, and as Heather learned, "It really is great exercise."
Marra Boyd, who regularly plays pickleball in Cranberry, said, "I have it on my watch, I only played 20 minutes and I already burned 123 calories."
Cranberry Township because it has one of the biggest pickleball leagues in the country with more than 1,200 members and 13 outdoor courts. Bruce Mazzoni helped found the Cranberry Township Pickleball Association five years ago - an all-volunteer run organization.
"It's fun. The same joy you have as a professional player is the same joy for beginners," Mazzoni said.
The demand is so high, the Cranberry Township Pickleball Association is currently building six more dedicated outdoor courts that will also serve as indoor courts in the winter with a dome over them. It's the largest facility like it in Western Pennsylvania.
Mark Ruston, who also plays regularly in Cranberry, said, "If you're not good at other sports, pickleball is pretty easy to pick up so you can be competitive right from the get go."
The City of Pittsburgh is also adding 10 more courts, replacing most of the aging tennis courts at Washington's Landing, according to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
Many other towns around the region are creating more and more outdoor pickleball courts. It's harder to find indoor courts, but recreation centers and other sports facilities are adding them too.
The reason Cranberry's league is so popular is because they offer lessons, clinics and play according to level.
Once our KDKA anchors and meteorologist got the basics of pickleball, it was game on -- Heather and Mary versus Royce and Kristine.
It started with a lead for Heather and Mary at 5-0, but Kristine and Royce rallied to come back and tie it up 10-10.
In pickleball, the first team to 11 wins, but you have to win by two.
Kristine and Royce won the game point to win 13-11.
"That was fun," Kristine said as she and Mary hugged it out.
"It was a tough game," Royce said.
Heather added, "Thank God I had Mary on my team. She is a beast."
And watch out for Mary: "I'm coming back, so try to beat me."
If you want to get started playing pickleball, Facebook is a good place to start with lots of local pickleball groups.
Don't miss "Pickled" -- the celebrity Pickleball tournament hosted by Stephen Colbert at 9 p.m. Thursday on CBS!