Huntington Quarterly Summer 2022

he wanted. He started playing every day and lost 35 pounds. What draws people to the sport is that the pickleball courts are smaller and the ball is lightweight and slower moving. As such, most people get the hang of it easily. “Withpickleball, everyonehas suc cess and scores points,” Pemberton said. “It’s success on the very first day you’re out. That’s what brings people back. There’s no question of the exercise you’re getting, and some people come for the fun, social aspect of it. Others are bringing their high school competitiveness out, and they beat your butt.” Pemberton is also fighting for more courts in theHuntington area. Withpickleball beingmore accessible than tennis, he said it’s time there were more pickleball courts tomeet the increasing demand. Some towns and cities around Huntington are adding courts at a faster rate than Huntington is, said MelanieGleason, another pickleball regular. “It’s tough when you have 50 people waiting to play. It’s nuts,” Gleason said. “I never played a sport in my life, but I will play pickleball two or three times a day if I can. It’s a joke now with my kids: ‘Where’s Mom? Playing pickleball?’” They’re often right. Holmes is another who’d like to see more courts. “Getting more courts is impor tant,” she said. “You want people to be able to get out and be healthy and fit, and this gives everyone that opportunity.”

JEAN HARDIMAN is a Huntington import who has been writing about the great people of West Virginia and the Tri-State area for the past 20 years. She works in the communications office at Marshall University and lives in Huntington with her family.

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