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Pickleball is a paddle sport that is gaining power in Ponca City and all over the United States and Canada.
USA Pickleball said, “Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, Washington. Three dads – Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum – whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities – are credited for creating the game.”
For Alan Phillips, pickleball is life. Phillips started playing a few years ago. As a former tennis and racquetball player, it was easy for him to make the transition into pickleball. Pickleball is similar to tennis and racquetball in that there is a back and forth between players using racquets to hit balls. From there, pickleball goes its own direction with various rules about how the racquets are used, where balls must be hit to and from, and the like.
Phillips picked up the sport quickly and was soon playing multiple days per week at the Ponca City Country Club. He also began playing in tournaments in other Oklahoma communities. Playing these tournaments helped him network with other players and grow his skill level. He tested to become a Co-Ambassador through USA Pickleball for our region. According to USA Pickleball, “Ambassadors are volunteers who have pledged to promote the sport of pickleball and the USA Pickleball in the local area that they represent. They are individuals or couples who work with the communities, clubs and other various recreational facilities to guide and help build pickleball programs for all to enjoy. The main prerequisite is a love of the sport and the desire to share our game with others of all ages.”
In February 2023, Phillips and Natalie Fraser planned a Double Trouble tournament to raise funds for improvements to the pickleball courts at the Country Club. Local businesses KW Select, Edward Jones and Quarter Turn sponsored the tournament. The event was so well received that Phillips and a co-worker decided to plan another one for the fall to benefit United Way of North Central Oklahoma. Phillips 66 partnered with them on that tournament and matched all funds raised for United Way. The Club currently has enough courts to host 32 players, though Phillips admits he would love to see this grow in the future. This year they hosted both of those tournaments again, as well as a tournament for the Ponca Young Employees group (PYE) in September. The PYE tournament raised funds for scholarships for the University Center.
Tournaments are typically held on Saturday. They are broken up into two sessions – morning and afternoon. Each session takes about two and a half hours. Approximately seven games are played per session. Depending on the tournament, small prizes are offered. Phillips’ wife Jamie helps him run the tournaments, along with any other volunteers they can gather. Jamie helps check players in, keep score, take photos and does other tasks that go along with hosting the tournaments. Their two kids also love pickleball and have helped with, and played in, several of the tournaments. Alan and Jamie say they would love to continue to be able to host 3-4 tournaments per year. They already plan to hold the Double Trouble and United Way tournaments again this year.
Phillips would love to see Ponca City host a tournament with a cash purse at some point, as this would draw in more folks from out of town. Tournaments here have had 32 players, where tournaments in towns like Bartlesville host over 200 players. He hopes to see our tournaments grow over time and sees pickleball as an opportunity to cultivate tourism in our community.
Players of all ages have entered pickleball tournaments in Ponca City. Phillips expands, “For pickleball, it doesn’t matter how old you are. My son plays. He is 17. And we’ve got people in Ponca City that are 77 playing. Anybody can play, and they can be competitive and still be on the same court together. So, I think that’s what’s going to make pickleball so popular. Anybody can learn it. It generates a sense of community. I just think pickleball people are the best people.”
Playing has become so popular locally that games are happening several mornings each week at the RecPlex and several evenings at the Country Club. Games at the Club take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Phillips is there for most of them, that is when he’s not traveling around the state to play in other tournaments. Nonmembers can play at the Club for $5 per night or $30 per month. Recently, he and fellow player Fraser have begun offering free lessons to Club members on Wednesday nights starting at 6 p.m.
Through the Country Club, members have access to Erne, a drilling machine that can serve balls to the players, helping them perfect various swings. Erne holds about 120 balls and can be programmed using a special app. In the app you can set the speed and timing of the serves. Erne also has preprogrammed drills that align with every skill level, helping players up their game.
When asked about the future of pickleball in Ponca City, Phillips says he would love to host a summer camp for kids in 2025. He fondly remembers attending Tennis Camp as a child with Coach Wally Smith. He wants to set up a camp where kids can come and get lessons and learn to play the sport he has grown to love and enjoy.
Pickleball is growing across the U.S. and in our community for so many reasons. The game is fun. It’s active and can be a great source of exercise. Players can find a sense of community through the game. It can be played by people of any age. If you’d like to get involved in the local pickleball scene, use the QR code to access our area’s Pickleball GroupMe.
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