The game even has its own language, like “the kitchen,” “body bag,” “falafel,” and “dink shot.” Just as the equip- ment used in the game is borrowed from other sports, so is its name borrowed from the competitive rowing term "pickle boat.”
From Court to Community: Why Pickle- ball Is Taking Over the Neighbourhood What is the big deal about pickleball? It seems to be every- where, and everyone is either talking about it, playing it, or talking about playing it. Barb Botten, Owner of Villager Publi- cations, along with Lynne Williams, one of Barb’s intrepid writ - ers, decided to find out. Pickleball, it turns out, is a game involving two or four players returning volleys of a hard, plastic wiffle-like ball. It’s played indoors or outdoors on regulation badminton courts. Rather than traditional racquets, players use a large paddle reminis- cent of a ping pong paddle. “I didn’t know what to expect,” says Barb after her first time playing the game. “Within minutes, I was hooked. The rules were easy to learn, the rallies started quickly, and before I knew it, I was laughing, moving and breaking a sweat.” Pickleball is also one of the most versatile sports to hit com- munities, which explains its viral-like popularity. It combines fitness with fun and doesn’t require any natural athletic ability to enjoy the game. Almost anyone, regardless of age or ability, can find a place on a pickleball court. “You’re active the whole time, but it never feels intimidating,” adds Lynne. “Between points, there’s always room for a smile, some friendly banter, and encouragement from teammates and opponents alike.” Autumn Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Submitted by Pam Przysiezny, Branch Assistant, Mount Brydges Library “This is my mom’s sourdough cinnamon bun recipe. In our house on Sunday mornings my mom always made sourdough cinnamon buns. Our whole family looked forward to them. They are absolutely delicious and much easier to make than tradition- al yeasted rolls.” Ingredients: 1 cup flour ½ tsp Baking soda 2 tsp Baking powder 1/8 tsp salt 1 cup Sourdough starter ¼ cup softened butter ½ cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon Directions: Mix flour, baking soda and powder, salt and sourdough. Roll it out into a rectangle. Mix butter with sugar and cinnamon and coat rolled out dough with it. Gently roll the dough into a log, cut pieces for the buns gently with a sharp knife. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. To advertise here please contact Debbie@villagerpublications.com
Gail Prior founded the Komoka & Area 55+ Club 13 years ago and can attest to how the game has grown in popularity. She’s watched her club grow from around 12 to 300 in that short time. The club includes players from Komoka, Delaware, Mount Brydges and Strathroy. For many, the biggest draw to pickleball is the camaraderie and friendships they form. For others, like Delaware resident Patty Jackson, pickleball can tap into your competitive side. “Little did I know it would become such a huge part of my life,” says Patty, who has won medals at national and international tournaments and is a certified pickleball coach. “The beauty of pickleball is that you can play the game to whatever level you want.” For information on playing pickleball in Strathroy, visit www.strathroy-caradoc.ca or email Kait Topham at ktopham@strathroy-caradoc.ca. For the Komoka & Area 55+ Club, email Gail at gprior@rogers.com, or visit Pickleball Ontario at www.pickleballontario.org.
Hometown Strathroy-Caradoc October 2025
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