CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

This past spring a small group of local residents got together to play some pickleball and learn more about the game. Some members of this group had played pickleball in school or had taken some classes at the Y, others had learned to play while they were snow birding, and others knew nothing at all about the sport but wanted to learn.

A few players started off playing in Marshalltown but decided they really didn’t want to drive out of town to play pickleball so they started meeting up at the STC tennis courts. They originally used the full-size tennis courts to play but since a pickleball court is actually smaller in size than a tennis court, they purchased some pickleball court markers and some chalk line reels and have now marked 4 tennis courts for pickleball play.

As the summer has progressed, the number of participants has grown. The group has gone from 4-6 players to as many as 17 showing up on a given night. The Facebook page (Tama-Toledo Big Dill Picklers) now has 53 members and is growing daily.

It is the hope of this group that the excitement of pickleball will spread throughout the community and there will be enough interest in this sport that very soon some pickleball courts can be built for all of Tama-Toledo to enjoy.

All are welcome to join in on the fun. Pickleball is great exercise and a fun way to meet new people. The Big Dill Picklers are not out to be competitive – they just want to learn more about the game, help others learn the game and play in a respectful and courteous manner. Please come check it out and be prepared to have some fun & laughs.