If you’ve ever picked up a paddle and played pickleball, you’re one of nearly 20 percent of adults in the United States reported to have played the sport within the last year.
One pickleball club in Cambria started with just three families and has grown to nearly 150 members.
Cambria Pickleball by the Sea’s Gregg Whitfield says the sport provides more than just exercise.
“It gives you a good social outlet. It gives you exercise. It gets you out there and moving. It’s a great sport. People love it because they get out there and have fun and keep the ball in play," Whitfield explained.
Player Ali Vassigh agrees.
“Having the courts as a central part of our community is great. When I first moved here, I didn’t know a single soul. Thanks to pickleball, I made friends very quickly, friends in the community. We get out here every morning. It’s almost like a ritual," Vassigh said.
Club members’ skill levels vary and Vassigh says that is part of the fun.
“Everybody plays at mixed levels. You can get someone who is a master of the game playing with someone who's brand new and you can still play and that’s the fun part. It doesn’t require hours and hours of training to have a fun time," Vassigh said.
While the courts are in Cambria, member Gayle Jenkins says it’s not just people from the town who come to play.
“We’re so lucky here on the Central Coast and here in Cambria to have these courts. I’d say they’re the best courts on the Central Coast. We’re fortunate everyone from the county comes here to play," she said.
The pickleball courts at the Old Cambria Grammar School are a big draw for players in the community.
While the Coast Unified School District supplied land to Cambria Pickleball by the Sea for the courts to be built in September 2015, the club had to get creative when it came to how to pay for everything else.
Club President Rich Davega has been playing the sport for 11 years and says the community came together to make the project happen.
"There were some substantial donors and other people that contributed based on their ability. The full funds for the court were raised by the membership," Davega said.
Cambria Pickleball by the Sea is open to everyone whether you're looking to try the sport out for the first time or have a friendly face-off.
