Pickleball classes are helping young people enjoy the sport and avoid violence.
A large group of foreigners has formed the “Pickleball Club,” an activity similar to tennis that is gaining popularity among tourists and residents from other countries. They gather at the Poliforum to play and also participate in helping the Mexican community by involving children in public schools in the sport, keeping them away from crime.
The Poliforum sports unit, located in the Ejido neighborhood, has become a hub for tourists and foreigners living in Playa del Carmen. Despite the sun’s rays, they practice pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, paddle tennis, badminton, and table tennis. In this sport, two or four players hit a ball over a net, aiming to score points and win sets. The constant hitting of the light ball, similar to a tennis ball, attracts Mexican athletes and citizens. What was once a fast soccer field now has markings that delimit the small courts used for pickleball.
Jeffrey Blake, one of the main promoters of pickleball in Playa del Carmen, informed Por Esto! that around 3,700 people worldwide practice this discipline, and there are several clubs in Mexico where people can learn to play pickleball. He mentioned that the sport requires only a small racket and a plastic ball with small holes, making it accessible and affordable for everyone, including senior citizens.
Blake highlighted that the Playa del Carmen club has visitors from the United States, Canada, Scotland, Nigeria, and Colombia. “From December to March, 670 people come and occupy six courts per day. We are a large group that plays pickleball in Mexico, with the number one club in Puerto Vallarta,” he revealed.
Pickleball is a popular sport in the United States and Canada. The main objective of these foreigners who play pickleball is to build a community and engage in social activism by donating to the players’ children so they can attend school. Over the three years that this club has been in Playa del Carmen, they have donated 120,000 pesos to the community.
Lourdes Gómez mentioned that they are negotiating with the City Council to open a pickleball academy for children in the afternoons. Children from the Church ‘La Casa de Fe’ have come on some Sunday afternoons, where they were served sandwiches or ice cream, sponsored by the pickleball club members, benefiting local merchants.
Gómez also noted that there will be a tournament with other pickleball players on the Poliforum courts in Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Puerto Aventuras, and Akumal, on the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, at 8:00 in the morning.
Source: Por Esto
