St George Utah Blog

What is all the craziness about pickleball?  If you drive around Southern Utah, specifically St. George,  you are bound to see numerous pickleball players with bright pickleball paddles and many parks with pickleball courts.  The USA Pickleball Association www.usapa.org describes pickleball as “A paddle sport created for all ages and skill levels.  A fun sport that combines many elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong.”  I like pickleball because you spend a lot of time hitting the small plastic ball with holes in it, instead of chasing down the ball like you sometimes do in tennis.  The courts are smaller than tennis courts which makes for fast paced activity.  I also like pickleball because you find after playing the sport that you have had a great workout and you have strengthened your core without even realizing it. 

The Fields at Little Valley in St. George has 24 pickleball courts.  This is the first facility to have so many public courts in a single location in the United States.  It has excellent lighting for night play and even has stadium seats, if you want to just watch.  Although the courts seem busy, there are always empty courts available for play.  Just recently the City of St. George hosted the Pickleball USAPA West Regionals.  The winners go on to compete in the 2017 USAPA National Championships in Arizona in November. 

If you want to learn how to play pickleball, the City of St. George offers weekly drop in clinics for $5.  These clinics are held Mondays and Fridays at The Fields at Little Valley Pickleball Complex at 2149 Horseman Park Drive from 10:00 am to 11:00.  The clinic is designed for beginners and focuses on how to hold the paddle, how to strike the ball and the basic fundamentals of the game.  For more information on these clinics go to:    https://www.sgcity.org/sportsandrecreation/allartsandrecreation/pickleball/adultpickleballclinics

So if you are looking for activity, adventure and great fun, consider playing the sport of pickleball on one of the many pickleball courts found in St. George.