On Thursday, the Malad Pickleball court at long last held its ribbon-cutting and official opening.  The event was attended by members of the pickleball committee, pickleball enthusiasts, and the representatives of the Phillips family who were responsible for installing the court (and also happen to be accomplished professional players).  After some words from Lance Tripp, Vic Phillips and his son provided instruction and pointers to those in attendance.

City Councilman Lance Tripp opened the event with a brief speech.  “I just wanted to take a minute and recognize some people,” he began.  “A little backstory on how this came to happen.  We planned on putting in one or maybe two pickleball courts this year as the city.  Then we were approached by a bunch of people that are here…” he said, gesturing to a laughing crowd.  “They had a whole bunch of signatures on a petition—I don’t know exactly how many, but several hundred, from the community—who wanted to see some pickleball courts put in.  So we started looking at it.  These guys buckled up their belts and jumped in and came up with a plan.  I tell you, it’s been an interesting experience working with this committee because they are just nonstop.  They put this together and we just broke ground in May, and just put the last lights up last week.  We also just put this up last week,” Tripp said, pushing one of the buttons on the new drinking fountain.  “So if anyone needs a drink, it tastes a bit like new pipe.”

Tripp recognized the committee, which included Dotty Evanson, Bob and Anne Crowther, Lynn Moore, Sara Richardson, Dave Colton, Ed and Paula Thorpe, Rex Robbins, Kris Blaisdell, Debbie Buehler, Scott Ray, and Chair Rebecca Firth, as well as City Council representative Lance Tripp.  

Major sponsors for the facility included the AARP (who was the major granting entity), Nucor Steel (who donated the rebar), Hess Pumice (who worked on ground prep and donated a lot of material for the project), Jack B. Parsons Ready Mix (who provided the concrete), Malad Rock, Messerly Concrete (who poured the concrete for the court), Non-Typical Excavation, and Ace Hardware, as well as many others who volunteered their time, energy, and money to the project.  A lot of the labor was donated by members of the community, who busied themselves while waiting for the completion of the project by helping out.  Tripp specifically mentioned Rex and Devon Robbins and Tory Richardson for donating their time and efforts to the project.  The major sponsors will eventually have their names engraved on a rock at the court’s entrance.  The court was surfaced by Rocky Mountain Court Surfacing.  

Tripp next introduced the company’s owners Vic and Lisa Phillips and their son Danny.  “They’re the pros.  They came here and made the surface look pretty.  He spent a lot of time and did a lot of extra work that didn’t have to do.”  After the concrete had been poured, fibers needed to be removed before the surface could be laid, which added extra time to the project but needed to be completed in order to ensure that the court was professionally finished.  

“You’d come down here and see them, and one or sometimes two of their daughters all the time working on it,” Tripp said.  Anyone who spent time walking around the park this summer can certainly attest to that fact.

“In one hundred degree weather!” Dotty Evanson reminded the crowd, who laughed.

“They offered to come here tonight,” Tripp continued.  “Vic is a certified pickleball instructor, and a certified pro.  His son Danny is ranked number one in the United States in his age group.”  Phillips’ daughter Alli is a member of the a major league pickleball team, the New Jersey Fives, and his daughter Liv plays for the USU team and is one of the top seventeen year olds in the country.

“Maybe they’ll play against you a little bit,” Tripp concluded to applause.

The committee stood proudly at the entrance, while Rebecca Firth cut the ribbon on the new court, officially opening it for business.

Vic and Danny took some time to introduce some basic principles to aspiring pickleball players, as well as answer questions.  “The thing I would suggest is that unlike tennis, where you have these long loopy strokes, have a short backswing and just come through.”

As they warmed up, several people asked about how to get spin on the ball.

“You angle your paddle,” Phillips said.  “Instead of just holding it flat, you holding it like this.  But when you come down on it, you’re hitting it at an angle that creates spin.”

Phillips explained the importance of warming up, as well as drilling on basics.  He also discussed some differences between playing singles and doubles.  Singles play requires more constant activity than doubles.  Phillips acknowledged that singles play could be more taxing, but that drilling and practicing skills would help develop the right muscles and reflexes for either version of the sport.  “For every hour you play, you should be doing two hours of drilling,” he said.

“The general rule for pickleball is—you want to try to keep your opponents out of the court [the painted surface].  Keep them behind it, keep them to the side of it.”  In pickleball, court is used in either singles or doubles play, like tennis.  Unlike tennis, however, the unpainted zone at the net is referred to as the “no-volley zone,” though most players refer to it as the “kitchen.”  No part of the player can be inside the kitchen while volleying, though players can enter the kitchen if they are not actively volleying.

Phillips explained his general philosophy for play, which is to serve long, move up, and return long.  “I’m going to try to keep him back, deep, wide, come to the net when I can and hope he doesn’t pass me.  I’m trying to get the ball deep in the corner, which should make it really hard for him to do something offensive.”

He also answered questions about serving.  “There are two main rules for serving.  The ball has to be below your waist or belly button at the point of contact, and the ball has to be below your wrist at the point of contact.  It doesn’t matter if you drop it over the line, as long as YOU are behind the line.”

Phillips answered questions about rules, techniques, and tips for improving play for about a half hour, then turned the courts over to those who had worked so hard on bringing the court to the park to continue working on their game.