Pickleball Boom in Seymour: Pickleball is booming in Seymour, Brownstown, and across the country. Once seen as a strange word, the sport is now the fastest-growing in America. Local players in Jackson County are leading the charge, organizing leagues, building courts, and welcoming new players every week.
More than just a game
Nancy Sterling and her husband Dennis Sterling helped raise $120,000 to build four new courts in Brownstown. Nancy Sterling, 69, also runs clinics and organizes games. “We started playing on the tennis courts,” she said. “We wanted regulation courts,” and the money was raised.
In Seymour, John Andrews has become a leader in growing the sport. “It’s an addiction, man,” said Andrews, who now gives clinics and runs leagues.
More and more residents are picking up paddles. The sport is especially popular with senior citizens but is now attracting all ages.
Playing for health and fun
Scott McCormick, 62, started playing pickleball this year and has already lost 40 pounds. He said, “Nowadays, I don’t go for the ball. I give you the point.”
But injuries can happen. “I fell and broke my arm in three places,” McCormick said about his first game.
Still, many see the game as a safe, healthy way to stay active. “It’s easier than running,” Dennis Sterling said. His only injury was a nosebleed.
The game’s easy-to-learn rules and slower pace make it accessible. “It’s easier than tennis and harder than table tennis,” said teacher Robin Cummings after her first game.
Growth across the area
Seymour now has four outdoor courts at Gaiser Park and indoor space at Girls Inc. Brownstown has four courts by the baseball diamonds. The city expanded from two to four courts in 2022. “It was really blowing up then,” said Seymour Parks Program Director Tracey Cole. “It’s actually going crazy.”
Participation has been mostly from seniors. “We like to keep one court available,” Cole said. “For someone who wakes up in the morning with an itch to play.”
New players keep arriving
Katie Leitzman, 36, and Lindsay Pray, 38, joined after seeing friends play. “I had always wanted to try it,” Leitzman said. “I played tennis.”
Rich Steele and Linda Steele learned the game from friends in Florida. “OK, we’ll try it,” Linda Steele said. Rich Steele, who used to play ping-pong, said, “I can spin it. I get everybody.”
Young players like Jack Roberts, 24, and fiancée Kacie Lima, 25, are also giving the game a try. Lima said in her hometown, pickleball is, “everywhere. They have 24-hour pickleball.”
She joked about playing in the middle of the night. “Wake up,” Lima said. “Can’t sleep. Play pickleball.”
From backyard to Olympic dream
Pickleball started in 1967 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, as a family game. Today, the Sports and Fitness Industry Association says there are 19.8 million players in the U.S.
Players use large paddles, plastic balls with holes, and a net lower than tennis. The game can be played as singles or doubles.
Despite the silly name, pickleball is serious business. The largest complex in the world is set to open in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2026 with 50 courts, a bar, and a restaurant.
But in Seymour and Brownstown, it’s about friendship and fun.
Andrews summed it up best: “Before I knew it, I was giving clinics.”
News in Brief: Pickleball Boom in Seymour
Pickleball is taking off in Seymour and Brownstown with new courts, growing leagues, and players of all ages. Led by locals like Nancy Sterling and John Andrews, the sport is spreading fast. Pickleball offers fun, fitness, and friendships, making it the most talked-about game in town.