The summer may be unofficially over, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end. Beach Haven residents Ted and Candy Zolcinski are determined to make pickleball a year-round sport on Long Beach Island, mostly because it’s been a huge hit with local visitors and residents alike. The couple began playing the racket sport this past winter in Florida; it uses a perforated Whiffle ball to combine elements of tennis and badminton. Before long, they were hooked.
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| Photo by Jack Reynolds Candy and Ted Zolcinski play pickleball against Karl Lombel and Robin O' Brien at the Beach Haven School courts. |
Along with Long Beach Township resident Karl Lombel, the pair started a Beach Haven group of pickleball players in June, which involves neighbors playing neighbors. During the past two months, about 50 people, ranging in age from 12 to 70, have joined the group.
“Once we started, we were basically addicted. We just loved playing it,” Ted Zolcinski told The SandPaper in a phone interview Aug. 29. “It’s kind of crazy. People just can’t get enough of it. Last night it was dark, and people were ready to continue playing. They can’t even see the ball anymore. It’s just that kind of a fun game.”
The group recently received approval to add another temporary court, using court tape, to the skating rink on Nelson Avenue in Beach Haven, where they hope to continue playing throughout the off-season. Zolcinski met with Beach Haven officials a few weeks ago to discuss setting up permanent courts using painted lines instead of court tape. The town is looking into using the remaining funds from the skating rink project, which started over 10 years ago, to repair some cracks and erosion in the area. Borough Manager Richard Crane said about $7,000 is available.
“We’re not adverse to painting as long as it doesn’t take away from the necessary painting and striping that’s required for playing hockey,” he said. “I think we can do it in such a way that both sports can co-exist.
“We encourage all recreational sports; that’s what the parks are for. The more use, the better,” he added.
Throughout the summer, the group mostly played on the courts behind the Beach Haven Elementary School. The strong visibility of that location, Zolcinski said, has contributed to the increase in participants. Another temporary court was also added there a couple weeks ago.
“We got people on the fence watching the games, and a lot of walk-ins, because people didn’t realize Beach Haven had pickleball,” Zolcinski said. “It’s not as strenuous as tennis is, and yet it’s a tennis-like sport. You can play for hours, and you certainly get a workout, but it’s not something that you’re just totally exhausted over.
“The social aspect of it is just tremendous,” he added. “The people that we’ve met, both here and in Florida, is just a great group of people that, three times a week, share experiences. That’s another great part of it.”
Although the group plans to continue playing at the school Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to dark as well as Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, they will eventually have to cut back on their time due to back-to-school hours. They plan to move the weekday games to the rink on Nelson Avenue at the end of September, when it begins to get dark more quickly.
Plans to set up courts at the St. Francis Community Center are also in the works, Zolcinksi said.
The group has received many calls from people before they’ve even arrived in town via the American Pickle Ball Association website, where the group is listed.
“The greatest thing that we found is that it’s intergenerational,” said Zolcinski. “I’ve played against 12-year-olds; I’ve played against 80-year-olds. People can compete in that wide a range with each other and be very competitive. ... It’s just that kind of sport. It’s fun. Families can play it, and a wide range of ages can play each other.”
Zolcinski hopes to eventually host a pickleball tournament on the Island, which he thinks will benefit the overall area.
“There’s tournaments all over, so it’d be a nice thing for next season or even the next season after that, if we can get our courts all lined up, kind of like you have some of the other events like Chowderfest,” he said. “Once you bring those kind of people in, they’re just going to spend money in town.”
Individuals interested in participating in the pickleball group may contact Candy Zolcinski at 908-596-0092 or cazolcinski@yahoo.com.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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