ANN ARBOR, MI — A recently opened pickleball court in Ann Arbor is bringing the sport — and people’s passion for it — to the area.
Wolverine Pickleball, 119 Jackson Industrial Drive, is the area’s only dedicated indoor pickleball facility, according to Christy Howden, who co-owns the facility with Leslie White.
Pickleball is played with a paddle and a plastic, perforated ball. Because the ball is slower and the paddles are larger than typical ping pong paddles, the game is easy to learn, even for uncoordinated or young players.
A mash of volleyball, tennis and ping pong, pickleball is a sport with which people “get obsessed,” Howden said.
“It’s a secret world,” she said.
The facility draws people in from across the state, including Lansing, Battle Creek and Novi, as well as Toledo, Ohio. One of the frequent participants is Julie Adams, a member who drives in from Brighton.
“You can always find people to play at your level,” Adams said.
Adams said she particularly enjoys the social aspect of the game, which is cultivated through rotating through team players during gameplay.
Marcia Smith, a member at Wolverine Pickleball, said she also liked the social part of pickleball.
“It’s a team, but it’s an individual,” she said. “We’re addicted.”
Wolverine Pickleball was launched in October 2020, but “flourished” during the pandemic, Howden said.
“As word of our facility spread through the pickleball community and community at large, we have had more and more players join us to learn to play and come to up their level of play,” Howden said, adding that is a “socially distanced sport.”
A membership at Wolverine Pickleball costs $25 per month and provides discounts for pickleball sessions, as well as access to after-hours play and other perks.
With a membership, a two-hour weekday session costs $5 before 5 p.m. and $7 after 5 p.m. or on weekends. For non-members, the cost is $8 and $10, respectively. Private court time and lessons are also available.
Wolverine Pickleball also has plans to expand, eventually offering food and other activities, Howden said.
“This is a stepping stone,” Howden said.
To learn more about Wolverine Pickleball, visit the website here.
Read more from The Ann Arbor News:
Artist turns Ann Arbor garage into backyard gallery, music venue
WMU football opens fall camp looking ‘night and day’ different from a year ago
Michigan reports a three-day total of 3,962 new coronavirus cases for Aug. 4-6
