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Morristown Magazine 53 pickleball hard courts with permanent lines and nets. These courts are free but are not available to be reserved Since it’s opening in 2023, the Landing has seen an outpouring of interest in Pickleball from the local community. “As soon as we opened the doors, the courts were full of folks wanting to play pickleball. It’s the fastest growing sport in the country,” Mo- rristown Landing General Manager Steve Eaton said. Pickleball courts are offered every morning at the Landing, along with Monday and Wednesday evenings. “We’ll keep expanding and growing our pro- gram as much as we can,” Eaton said. What is Pickleball? At its simplest, Pickleball is doubles ping pong standing on the table. More accurately, it’s a low impact form of ten- nis that requires a paddle, not a racquet and has a less bouncy ball. According to the USA Pickleball Association, Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, Washin- gton. Three dads – Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum — whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities — are credited for creating game. Pickleball has evol- ved from original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport throughout the US and Canada. The game is growing interna- tionally as well, with many European and Asian countries adding courts. “We don’t really care who wins or loses,” said Roni Snyder, an avid pickleballer who partici- pated in a semi-infamous challenge game featu- ring Morristown Mayor Gary Chesney and Ham- blen County Mayor Bill Brittain. “We just want to have a good time and help people understand that Pickleball is not just about the sport, it’s about the socializing, the exercise, the laughter. If you watch people out there, everybody smiles. It so fun. It takes you back to being a kid.”