'Fall in love' with pickleball at Atlantic tournament in Fredericton
'It’s just fun. Every time you play is fun'
Grab your best sneakers and paddles, New Brunswick, you're about to play host to an Atlantic pickleball tournament next weekend.
Alden Briggs, president of the Fredericton Pickleball Club, says there was a time when he turned up his nose at the sport, but once he got on the court for the first time while in Florida he was "immediately hooked."
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"It's an easy game to learn, but it's a hard game to master," he told CBC's Information Morning in Fredericton. "I've been playing for two years now and play just about every day. It's a wonderful sport."
The sport combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis.
Learning the ins and outs of pickleball takes no longer than two hours, Briggs said, and can be played by all ages.
'They immediately fall in love with it'
The sport has taken off in Canada in recent years. It's a hit among seniors, offering activity and competition, but it's also gaining traction with younger folks as well, Briggs said.
"The sport is catching on all across North America and now it's being introduced to all the schools, right from children 10 years old and up," he said. "They immediately fall in love with it."
According to Briggs, there are more than 1,000 pickleball players in New Brunswick.
He and his wife enjoy the sport. It has provided them a place to mingle with new people and start lasting friendships.
"The social aspect of it is huge. My wife and I have met more friends in the last two years … than we did in the previous two decades.
"It's just fun. Every time you play is fun."
The tournament runs from June 9-10 at the Grant Harvey Centre in Fredericton.
With files from Information Morning: Fredericton