Hoover lands inaugural 2020 USA Pickleball National Indoor Championship

Screen Shot 2019 12 22 at 5.51.23 AM Hoover lands inaugural 2020 USA Pickleball National Indoor Championship
Screenshot from Minto 2019 U.S. Open Pickleball Championship

Are you ready for some Pickleball Birmingham!

This week, the USAPA, Pickleball’s national governing body, announced they will be holding the inaugural USA Pickleball National Indoor Championships on June 9 -13, 2020 at the Finley Center in Hoover.

Organizers expect over 1000 players from all over the country to compete during the five day tournament.

What is Pickleball?

Never heard  or seen Pickleball? Check it out!

The fast growing sport has caught fire in the Birmingham area over the past few years.  Locally, Pickleball is played at  the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and at recreation centers throughout town, including the Trussville Park and Recreation and YMCA complexes.

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Pickleball courts at the Trussville Park and Recreation Center. Photo from Facebook

Here is a description of the sport from the JCC website:

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. It is a paddle sport (similar to a racquet sport) that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, similar to a Wiffle Ball, over a net. The sport shares features of other racquet sports, the dimensions and layout of a badminton court, and a net and rule somewhat similar to tennis, with several modifications.

This past year, the Finley Center, at the Hoover Met Complex garnered rave reviews when it hosted the Heritage Pickleball Classic in August. That tournament caught the attention of the USAPA.

Where to play – Mark your calendars

The JCC offers regular Pickleball clinics and organized time slots 3-4 times a week. The game is also played at YMCA’s around town, Heardmont Park, Clay, Trussville and in Crestwood Park. You can download the “pickle” app to find places throughout the Magic City.  Visit – https://pickleup.com

Screen Shot 2019 12 22 at 5.50.12 AM Hoover lands inaugural 2020 USA Pickleball National Indoor Championship
Screenshot from Minto 2019 U.S. Open Pickleball Championship

And don’t forget to mark your calendars to see the first ever USA Pickleball National Indoor Championships on June 9 -13, 2020 at the Finley Center in Hoover.

Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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