LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Pickleball is a game nearly all of us grew up playing in P.E. -- a mixture of tennis and badminton with a whiffle ball that is now gaining national popularity.
In Little Rock, there is a group that meets every Thursday morning at Kanis Park with their paddles ready to go. Joe Arnold has played pickleball for years.
“A friend of mine in San Diego, he said 'get in the car we’re going to play pickleball,'” Arnold explained. “I’m pretty competitive.”
Since then, he’s been hooked on the sport. And Joe is far from the only one who fell in love with pickleball.
Rick Webb and his wife have played all over the United States.
“Way down in the valley and about 10 miles from the border of Mexico,” Webb said.
He's emphatic that you don’t need to be a professional to play on the courts at Kanis Park.
“Everybody is so helpful. They’ll teach you how to play the game and how to keep the score,” he said.
Arnold and Webb became fast friends on the court.
“I’ve met people in Little Rock I never would have met. The same goes for all around the country also,” Arnold said.
Not only can players get their exercise in, but they socialize as well with plenty of folks they may not have met otherwise.
Webb encourages everyone to come out and try pickleball if you haven’t before.
“Nobody should be afraid to come out and join the fun,” he said.
The groups meet every Thursday morning at Kanis Park beginning at 8:30 a.m.