Pickleball Sparks Interest Among St. Cloud Residents [VIDEO]

ST. CLOUD -- It's a sport that's growing among many older residents in the St. Cloud community.

Everyday, Pickleball courts are filled at Whitney Recreation Center with people passionate about the game.

Steve Roforth has been playing Pickleball for about 5 years. He says the game is much like tennis.

"A lot of the game and strategy is about when two players are in double situation, and you come up to the net, you have to let that ball bounce before you can hit it back," says Roforth.

The game is played with two to four players, using an oversized ping pong paddle, hitting a

plastic ball over a three-foot net.

Avid Pickleball player Don Landwehr says there is a lot of technique to the game.

"The game is a combination of a lot of things, power, control, court sense, then you bring a partner in the mix and who hits what shots," says Landwehr.

Brenda Huebert has been playing Pickleball for about two years. She says while it's a great workout, she enjoys meeting new people.

"Some people become friends because you play with them all the time, but you also have the opportunity to meet new people," says Huebert.

Whitney Recreation Center has six courts that offers Pickleball weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

St. Cloud is also working on adding outdoor Pickleball courts in the future.