By Katie Vasquez
Across the country, more and more people are picking up their paddles and playing pickleball.
More than 13.6 million people played pickleball across the U.S. in 2023, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, a 65% increase from the previous year, which saw 8.9 million players.
The rise in this sport is hitting the courts of Breezy Point, where a resident and parishioner of Blessed Trinity said her Queens community has really picked up on the game.
“There are a few different rules and very weird scoring and very hard scoring to learn, but tennis definitely helps you with the game,” Nies said. “It’s a hand-eye coordination thing. So if you are good at racket sports, you’ll be good at pickleball.”
Throughout the week, 75 people from nearby churches like Blessed Trinity gather together for a few friendly games.
“If somebody says, ‘That’s it, my back,’ then we’re like, ‘Okay, that’s it,'” said Anne Beehler. “The game’s over. And we don’t have a problem with walking away like that, right? We’re not going to the Olympics, let’s put it that way.”
It’s a chance to socialize outside of church.
“It’s a great social sport because you do get to talk,” said Kerrie Florio, a parishioner at Blessed Trinity. “Whereas in Mass, you get to see everybody, but it’s hi and then they leave.”
Though parishioners like Theresa Sullivan say there’s still a bit of faith infused into the game.
“I do try to, like, pray a little bit before I get here, you know, keep me safe,” said Theresa Sullivan. “I have a lot of back issues and am getting old. So I always ask God to bless me with some safety and not to get hurt.”
So far, God has blessed their paddles, allowing them to keep playing the game they love and connect to their church community.
“It’s just a great way to be living. So we feel very blessed.”
They say anyone who wishes to join is more than welcome.