Fr. Glyn Ortega OAR of San Sebastian College gives Pickleball a try.
PICKLEBALL IS neither sour nor sweet. It is a sporting discipline that hopes to get introduced and further develop in the Philippines wherein the elements and rules of the more popular racket sports like Tennis, Ping Pong and Badminton are combined.
Recently, a clinic was held at San Sebastian College by United States-based coach Jenny Bautista-Marcos. A native of Benguet, the balikbayan was a Tennis champion in the 1980’s and received a varsity scholarship at the University of Central Oklahoma but these days, Pickleball is her advocacy.
For sure, Pickleball will be attractive to the masses because first, the equipment and accompanying costs are comparatively cheaper. All one needs is a flat, even surface – whether indoor or outdoor – and one does not need to join exclusive clubs.
A Pickleball court is very similar to that of Badminton except that the net is at ground level just like in Tennis and the rackets look like Ping Pong paddles although it is shaped like a square fan instead of oblong. The ball is as big as the one for Tennis but looks more like that of for Ping Pong but with holes all over thus no matter how powerful one hits it, the flight will be slow making it very apt for all ages including Senior Citizens.
As of now, Coach Jenny and her camp are working for the formation of a National Sports Association that will be recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission. They are also in negotiation with the Department of Education and several private schools to have Pickleball as part of their Physical Education classes.
Aside from San Sebastian College, the group successfully staged similar clinics in Valenzuela, Vigan, Baguio and Pangasinan. For those who wish to give Pickleball a try and for more information, send an email to jen10s@icloud.com.
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