The numbers are growing and the problem is starting to get out of hand. In Carbondale, the number of pickleball addicts has quadrupled in the last two years and that number is expected to climb even higher as more people discover the “high” they feel during a game.
High schoolers are now taking pickleball classes during PE and as a result, many more kids are on the road to addiction. Once they do take up the sport, it becomes even more pleasurable and once they start figuring out strategies and creative ways to overtake their opponents, the craving escalates. The good news is that pickleball is a healthy addiction.
As you learn the basics, the game becomes challenging, competitive and so much fun that is the fastest growing sport in the USA. However, due to the growing popularity, the waiting time to get on a court has increased and addicts are becoming more and more frustrated.
As a result, they have begun to seek out other options. Some have traveled to Basalt, Glenwood and/or Aspen to find their fix while others travel as far as Arizona and Utah.
Town officials are seeking solutions for Carbondale. There aren’t any dedicated courts for pickleball and experts say that the only antidote to this growing problem is to build more; to build a center dedicated only to pickleball.
It’s expensive, so that’s easier said than done. As a first step, the Roaring Fork Pickleball Association has decided to hold a fundraiser this Saturday in River Valley Ranch.
Even if you don’t play or don’t consider yourself an addict, you can buy tickets to help fund a solution for those habitual users.
Next steps
What: “Pickleball bounce” 21+ fundraiser with wine, beer, hors d’oeuvres
When: 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 10
Where: Old Thompson Barn,
333 River Valley Ranch Rd.
Tickets: $60 per person or $49 in advance at 963-2518
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