CANTON — A relatively new sport is on the rise in the village, and organizers are hoping to attract more participants. Pickleball, a sport that mixes tennis and ping pong, is becoming increasingly popular across the country, and local enthusiasts are ready to begin competition.
Mary Ann Axtell, who has been at the forefront of the program, said she wanted to bring the sport back to New York state with her after learning to play in Florida.
“It got started because about six years ago I learned to play in Florida and I wanted to play back here and I thought it was a great game for seniors,” she said. “The court is a lot smaller so you don’t have as much room to cover and I just thought it would be a good sport to get started up here.”
While getting the program started has taken longer than she anticipated, Ms. Axtell said the group is ready to start playing for the year. New pickleball lines have been painted on the old tennis courts behind the social services building at 6 Judson St., nets have been purchased and now that the weather has begun to cooperate, Ms. Axtell invites anyone interested to join the fun.
According to Ms. Axtell, a large portion of the participants are older and learned to play while vacationing in Florida. Although the group has an older base now, she encourages players of all ages to check out the new sport.
“It is kind of a random thing with who shows up and who doesn’t,” Ms. Axtell noted. “Some nights we don’t have enough to play, other nights there are 15 or 16.”
It is not just those in the Canton community that are getting involved. Ms. Axtell said people from across the area have been traveling to town for pickleball.
“We have people from Lisbon, Massena, Trout Lake,” she said. “I have gotten a couple calls from guys in Potsdam, so I hope they will join us this year.”
The sport is also inclusive and offers various benefits, according to Ms. Axtell.
“You can get a good workout but it is very social too,” she said. “You can mix it up with men and women, it does not have to be men against men and women against women.”
Ms. Axtell said there is spare equipment for anyone who wants to play but does not have the necessary items. She encourages anyone who wants to play to wear tennis-like shoes.
The group plays at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Anyone with further questions can contact Ms. Axtell at 315-386-2473.