Only good time to be in a "pickle"

TROY, Ohio (WDTN) - At nearly 80 years old, Roy Baker never expected to start a sporting revolution in the Miami Valley, but just like on the court, he always seems to be in the right place.

"As soon as I got a chance to play and got a ball and racquet in my hand, I got hooked right away," Roy says.

Your first reaction when you hear about the game is to laugh at it, but your second reaction is to love it.

The game is as fun to say as it is to play.

It's called "Pickleball", reportedly named for the co-founder's dog.

But it really is as if you put a handful of net sports in a jar and mixed them up.

"Think of Pickleball as tennis, ping pong, volleyball and badminton rolled into one," says Bruce Schladen, who's been playing for four years.

With a name like Pickleball, it's only fitting the paddles look like cutting boards and the area around the net is known as the kitchen.

Maybe that's why so many are hungry to play.

"You could tell this was going to be something special," says Troy Mayor Mike Beamish.

Roy liked the game so much he started a league in Troy. Some members jokingly call him the father of Pickleball.

Like any good dad, now he's found the game a home.

The city dedicated it's new Pickleball courts in Duke Park Wednesday.

"It's one of those amenities that add to our quality of life for all ages," Beamish says.

The players in the league tend to be some of life's veterans but more junior members are starting to pop up.

"Anybody can come out and join us," Schladen says. "We'll try to teach you how to play the game."

Roy is always up for the challenge because win or lose he's already beaten one opponent. Time.

"As long as I can stand up," he says when asked how long he plans to keep playing.