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Luverne gets pickle ball court

Subhead
Interest growing in sport that mimics ping-pong and badmitten
Lead Summary
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By
Jason Berghorst

Thanks to a grant from the Luverne Area Community Foundation and some work by local residents, a new sport is taking off in Luverne.
Greg and Barb Antoine worked with Luverne Community Education to submit a grant request to the LACF for Luverne’s first official pickleball court.
The court was built earlier this month at Luverne High School with $1,100 from the community grant fund.
“We added the court in the open space by the green board next to the tennis courts,” Greg Antoine said. “We didn’t touch the actual tennis courts.”
Antoine is the LHS boys’ tennis coach and retired from teaching four years ago.
He said he and Barb first learned about pickleball while camping in the Black Hills three summers ago.
“The campground had a court and we took lessons. We’ve been playing ever since,” Antoine said.
Pickleball is best described as a mix between tennis, badminton and ping-pong.
“It’s a simple game, but it’s not easy,” Antoine offered. “It’s a lot like tennis. Anyone can play but it takes some work to get good.”
The sport can be played both indoors and outdoors on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified and lowered tennis net.
According to Antoine, the game is played by all ages but is especially popular with older players.
“Pickleball is a relatively low-impact sport. You get a good workout but you don’t have to run,” he said.
The game is especially popular in retirement communities in places like Arizona.
“We have a lot of snowbirds in the area that haven’t had anywhere to play here in the summers,” Antoine said.
The court in Luverne is equipped with a net and lines. Players need to bring their own paddles and balls.
“It’s first come, first serve, and if there are more than four players, you just rotate in,” Antoine said. “It’s definitely a social game.”
According to Emily Crabtree, executive director of the LACF, the pickleball project was a perfect fit for the foundation.
 “It was an exciting project for us to award as it brings something new to the community that people have been asking for,” Crabtree said.
“This project also brings a new form of recreational activity for people of all ages to get up and move and have some fun.”
Antoine said he’s already hearing a lot of interest in the new courts.
“People have been coming out of the woodwork now that they know there’s a court to play on in town.”

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