Pickleball tourney is Saturday

Pickleball players will gather in Berwick and Bayou Vista Saturday for the local Krewe of Pickleball’s first fun pickleball tournament.
The event will be split among the Berwick Civic Complex and the Bayou Vista Community Center.
Local pickleball player Linda Thomas, who is participating in the tournament, said that ladies’ action will be held at the Berwick Civic Complex, while men’s action will be at the Bayou Vista Community Center. Mixed doubles will be held at both places.
Action will begin at both sites at approximately 8 a.m.
Thomas said the tournament has 42 entries, most of which are from out of town. She said there are about 16 to 17 people from St. Mary Parish that will participate.
Categories for participation include Men’s Doubles, Ladies Doubles and Mixed Doubles.
The tournament field includes some national talent as Nanette Lewis, a gold winner in the women’s doubles at the 2013 national tournament in Ohio, and Randy Duplechien and JoAnn Koch, silver medal winners in the mixed doubles in the same event, will participate. They all are from Lafayette and will be competing in nationals this year in Minnesota.
Admission to Saturday’s event is free.
Thomas said pickleball is an international sport that has grown in popularity in recent years.
The sport, she said, is played with a wiffle ball and a paddle that is bigger than a Ping-Pong paddle but is smaller than a racquet ball racquet.
She said the game is played on a court the size of a volleyball court and about a 3-foot high net separates each team.
“The scoring is different than tennis, but the strategy’s the same as tennis,” Thomas said. “They have a few different rules and restrictions that are different than tennis but the strategy is basically the same. It’s great exercise.”
Thomas, who had to give up tennis, said she thinks pickleball is faster than tennis because the ball is lighter.
Thomas said she was introduced to the sport by a friend and she and others played in Bayou L’Ourse before deciding to begin play in Berwick. She said with support from Mayor Louis Ratcliff and those at the Berwick Civic Complex, they are able to play.
She said they play three days a week from 9 a.m. to noon at the Berwick Civic Center, and, if an alternate site must be found, at the Bayou Vista Community Center.
Thomas said the group is contemplating changing the schedule to two days in the morning and then one evening session to accommodate those who work and may be interested in pickleball.
If anyone is interested in joining the area pickleball players, they can contact Thomas at lvt@bellsouth.net.