GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION OF JIM LUCAS CHECOTAH PUBLIC LIBRARY’S PUBLIC PICKLEBALL COURTS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 29

The Jim Lucas Checotah Public Library’s newly finished pickleball courts will be celebrated at 10 a.m., June 29, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. All are invited!

Checotah Mayor Daniel Tarkington said June 29 will be declared “Pickleball Day in Checotah,” and, he and some of the city’s council members plan to play a doubles game.

The pickleball courts will be first-come, first-served for the public and are not affected by the library’s open/closed hours. There are lights for evening play, and library cardholders can borrow paddles and balls for free.

Many thanks to all donors and supporters: Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Friends of the Library, Peoples National Bank of Checotah, Armstrong Bank, First Family Federal Credit Union, the family of Eli Wallace, and Dr. Maurice & Gretchen Payne.

Special thanks to the City of Checotah for providing funds for what has not been covered by the grant and donations. 

NOTE: The Library is named after Jim Lucas who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1954 for international reporting and journalism. He was the only journalist ever called to give a briefing at the White House before the President and 100 Congressional leaders.

Media

Muskogee Phoenix (March 26, 2023) - Pickleball popularity creates demand for courts 

Jim Lucas Checotah Public Library branch manager Kenneth Matthews said the court is partially funded through a ($9,000) health literacy grant from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. 

Muskogee Phoenix (June 22, 2023) Pickleball arrives at Checotah Library

ChatGPT Article: (June 27, 2023) Jim Lucas Checotah Public Library Prepares for Pickleball Courts Grand Opening with Generous Donation

Beaverton City: Pickleball at the Library

Looking for a place to play pickleball? Look no further than your local public library. April fools! We are not planning to turn the library into a pickleball court. However, you can borrow a pickleball set from our Library of Things! No foolin'.

PUBLICATION

• Stoughton, MA : Franklin Sports Inc., [2017]

SUMMARY

• Paddle information: Franklin Pickleball-X® Challenger aluminum paddles; Handle length: 6"; Paddle Weight: 9.6-9.8oz; "The Pickleball-X® 2 player paddle and ball set is comprised of two USAPA approved aluminum challenger paddles and two of our best USAPA approved X-Performance 40 pickleball balls."

DESCRIPTION

• 4 paddles, 4 pickleballs : aluminum, plastic, color ; in bag  

Library of Things Items

1. Acoustic Guitar
2. Bird-watching Kit
3. Bocce Ball Set
4. Camping Tent
5. Canon Rebel Digital Camera: EOS Rebel T6
6. Cordless Drill
7. Cornhole
8. Crochet Needles
9. Electric Pressure Washer
10. Electric Programmable Air Fryer
11. Food Dehydrator
12. GoPro Digital Video Camera: Hero 5 Black
13. Ice Cream Maker
14. Instant Pot 6-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker
15. Karaoke Machine
16. Knitting Needles
17. Makey Makey Kit
18. Metal Detector
19. Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker
20. Microscope
21. Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot
22. Moog Theremini
23. NES Classic Console
24. Ozobot Bit Starter Pack
25. Paper Shredder
26. Pasta Machine
27. Pickleball Doubles Set
28. Portable Keyboard
29. Sanyo DVD Recorder/VCR
30. Sewing Machine: Singer Tradition
31. SNES Classic Console
32. Soprano Ukulele
33. Spikeball Set
34. Stud Finder
35. VHS to DVD converter

Stop by and grab a book: New Agricultural Library opens in Darlington

 

In the new Darlington library, customers can borrow cookbooks – and the pans to bake their meals. They can borrow books that provide pickleball clues — and the paddles to practice their dink shots.

An outdoor fireplace on a partially covered patio provides an inviting backdrop for perhaps movie nights. Inside the library itself there is a corner where toddlers can play with stuffed animals and an interactive outdoor storybook walk where they can exercise their legs, lungs and imagination.

Harford County Darlington Branch Library staff member Shawn Edwards places books near a children’s laboratory station at the new branch location. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)

For readers visiting the library on horseback, there is a rest area, outdoor picnic tables, and a “tablet tower” where children can surf the Internet using the library’s mobile devices.

This isn’t your grandmother’s library. By the way, it’s not even your older sister’s library.

The newly refurbished Darlington branch, which was inaugurated on October 19, is part of a nationwide trend by libraries to question their traditional roles and reconsider the nature of the resources they provide. Read More

Pickleball is exploding, and it’s getting messy

 

Anna Leigh Waters, 15, Wins  15th Singles Title. Baird Wealth Management Open September 2022

Washington Post

MASON, Ohio — The public address announcer’s voice boomed as balls flew amid the chaotic symphony of plastic pops and thwacks. So many greats had played and won here at the Lindner Family Tennis Center outside of Cincinnati: McEnroe and Agassi, Djokovic and Federer, Nadal and Serena. But center court was suddenly the stage for something very different.

“We love tennis, and this is an incredible tennis facility,” the announcer bellowed, “but for today we are piiiiickleball!”

All eyes were on Anna Leigh Waters, 15, and Ben Johns, 23, a mixed doubles team and perhaps the brightest stars in the rapidly expanding pickleball universe, phenoms changing the way the game is played and perceived. Competing in the Baird Wealth Management Open, one of the biggest events staged by the Professional Pickleball Association, Waters and Johns are torchbearers for a young sport with a future as promising as it is unpredictable.

Quaint and complex, the game has been likened to chess on concrete and is most commonly compared to tennis, badminton and table tennis. It also has exploded into a big business with no shortage of deep-pocketed investors and eager opportunists. (Read More)

New York Times: Why Is Pickleball So Popular?

Everyone and their mother seems to be playing. What’s the draw — and is it really a workout?

Anna Leigh Waters, 12, and her mother Leigh Waters. 2019 National Pro Women's Doubles Champions.  

Most anyone can play.

Many racket sports have a steep learning curve, even at the beginner level. “In tennis, the balls are all over the place,” said Ernie Medina Jr., an assistant professor of public health at Loma Linda University and pickleball coach who was introduced to the game in 2016 by his mother.

“In pickleball, you’re hitting a plastic wiffle-like ball, so it’s less bouncy and doesn’t fly as fast through the air. And the paddle is much easier to handle because it’s shorter and lighter than a tennis racket.” You also serve underhand in pickleball, and underhand serves are easier to hit and return. 

It’s a good workout. (No, really.)

Yes, pickleball has a low barrier to entry. But that doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park.

In one of the few studies that’s been done on pickleball, researchers found that compared to walking at a self-selected pace for half an hour, people who played doubles pickleball for half an hour had 14 percent higher heart rates and burned 36 percent more calories. Another study from Western Colorado University found that picklers averaged a heart rate of 109 beats per minute and burned 354 calories per hour, which qualifies it as a moderate-intensity workout alongside hiking, yoga and water aerobics. The players also saw significant improvements in their cholesterol levels, blood pressure and maximal oxygen uptake, a measure of cardiovascular fitness, after playing for an hour every other day for six weeks. (Read More)

Time: Why Older People Love Pickleball So Much

 

Chances are, you already know someone who’s an avid pickleball player. America’s fastest-growing sport—a cross between tennis, badminton, and ping-pong—can be played as either a singles or doubles game, though doubles is typically more popular. Points can only be accrued by the side that’s serving, and the winner is the first side to get to 11 points and be leading by at least two.

Invented in 1965 in Bainbridge Island, Washington, pickleball has gained popularity during the pandemic, growing 14.8% between 2020 and 2021. According to the 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry report, more than half (52%) of core players—those who play eight or more times a year—are 55 or older, and almost a third (32.7%) are 65-plus. (Read More)

Pickleball for All: Everything but the "Kitchen" Sink

Publication Date: August 30, 2022 By Rachel Simon

An entertaining and comprehensive look at America’s fastest growing sport, Pickleball for All is the ultimate primer for any level of player interested in the wacky history, unique rules, and exciting future of pickleball. 

Bainbridge Island, Washington State. On a sleepy summer vacation, three dads with bored kids started a game with handmade equipment and rules that were even more hastily constructed. 

Pickleball—an accessible and engaging combination of sports like ping-pong and tennis—was born, and a rich history began to take shape. Fifty years later, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to quarantine and hunt for new activities, Americans of all ages and athletic ability discovered pickleball, turning to the rapidly growing phenomenon as a way to stay active, safe, and entertained. 

With its unique rules, wacky terminology, and inclusive gameplay, pickleball caught the attention of the likes of the Kardashians, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Leonardo DiCaprio, and quickly became the world’s fastest growing sport with Olympic games potential.Few have followed pickleball’s ascent in American life as closely as New York Times writer and pickleball enthusiast Rachel Simon. 

Now Simon shares her fascination with the world in this lively, energetic primer for anyone wondering what in the world a dink is or why their neighbors have had a net up in their driveway since May 2020. From the history of the game to the basic rules (hint: you do not want to be caught in the “kitchen” during a volley), Simon offers a complete overview for casual and expert players alike. With easy-to-follow steps and expert advice, readers will learn everything they need to know, including information like: 

• Where and how to set up a court
• Scoring, gameplay, and equipment
• Strategies to win at any skill level
• The difference between a dink, a drive, and a drop shot

In addition, Simon weaves in inspiring stories from the world’s top players during their most exciting pickleball moments. An immersive look at a global phenomenon that’s only gaining momentum, Pickleball for All paints a vivid portrait of a new American pastime. (Read More) (Read Chapter 1)

 

ABC News - Pickleball enthusiast turned author says sport 'is something special'

In The News 

• ABC Action News: Morning Blend
• Inside Edition: New Book Highlights Sport's Growing Popularity 57 Years After It Was Invented 
• New York Times:  Is Pickleball the Perfect Pandemic Pastime? by Rachel Simon, May 2020
• New York Times: Marriage, With a Side of Pickleball by Rachel Simon, August 2022