‘We like to be underdogs:’ Youngsters try their hand at pickleball nationals

In their matching lilac and white outfits, Gracie Farago and Jacob Radwanski took to the courts in Regina at the Canadian pickleball championships this week in Regina.

They were among the youngest competitors in the tournament, playing a sport which has become incredibly popular with people of all ages – particularly older adults craving a lower-impact sport.

“We started about 2 1/2 months ago. We’re from Moose Jaw and there’s open outdoor courts out there,” said Farago.

“We thought it’d be fun to try out. We won the first time we played and found it really fun. From there we’ve just been going out every opportunity we had because it’s just really fun.”
At the national championships, the pair was playing in mixed doubles in the 16-to-49 age range. They had put together a victory dance, but when they were speaking to a reporter on Thursday, they hadn’t had a chance to use it yet.

“We got one point in our two games but we’re happy about that because it’s our first time playing (in a tournament). We like to be underdogs,” Radwanski said with a laugh.

He said the pickleball community has been very nice and he and Farago were able to make some friends with a couple of other teams along the way.

“They’ve really helped us through our first tournament. We’re very thankful that everyone around here is so nice to us. Being young, it’s kind of out of our element with everyone around here breaking their hips and everything so we’re happy to be here,” said Radwanski.

The two encourage younger players to give pickleball a try.

“It’s lots of fun. It’s more fun than you would expect. I think pickleball is definitely a sport that’s on the rise and I’m really excited to see younger people coming out and everyone is really nice,” said Farago.

Pickleball is a racquet sport that has been described as a combination of tennis and ping pong. It’s played on a badminton-sized court 20 feet wide by 44 feet long.

The game includes a seven-foot zone at the net called “the kitchen,” which is a non-volley zone. The ball has to bounce inside “the kitchen” before it can be returned, and players cannot hit the ball out of the air in that zone.

Games are typically played to 11 points, and must be won by two.

There were 640 players registered to participate in the national championships, and more than 110 events for them to participate in.

There are so many events because the tournament is split into a number of skill and age categories, with players between the ages of 16 and 77 competing.

The national championships continue in Regina until Sunday.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Nicole Garn and Lisa Schick