The three-day American Pickleball Tour kicked off Friday, bringing players from around the world to the Glass City Center in downtown Toledo to compete in this growing sport.
TOLEDO, Ohio — Pickleball is the fast-growing sports craze taking the world by storm, and Friday saw the three-day American Pickleball Tour (APT) kick off in downtown Toledo at Glass City Center after a two-year hiatus from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We yell back, we’re glad to be out here. This is our first stop on the tour. We have 22 multiple other locations and in 2023 we have 14 locations that we will visit nationwide,” said APT director Aaron DelMar.
He said 150 players of all ages, abilities and backgrounds have signed up to attend this weekend’s games at the convention center.
“It doesn’t affect your body much, it gets the blood pumping and it’s really fun to play,” said DelMar.
Kyra Fleming says the sport is almost like table tennis. She played in the tournament with her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend, both of whom are 21 years old. Fleming even plays pickleball with her own 75-year-old parents.
“We can all play together and it’s really fun and that’s what I really like about this sport,” Fleming said.
Husband and wife players Chuck and Carrie Broshious said they had concerns about playing two years ago, but now they play four to five times a week, and it’s not just for the practice.
“It’s a good camaraderie. She really is. We met some good friends. We met some people we’ve never spoken to before. We met her and now we’re going out and eating,” Chuck said.
Another Pickleball couple, Physicians Dan Mannion and Shani Peter, said Pickleball is a hot topic at their residency program in Ann Arbor. They said it’s also much easier to handle.
“I wish I could play pickleball 80 hours a week, but I can’t,” Mannion said.
Peter said it’s great for health too.
“Yes, the same. The residency is a thousand times more difficult, but Pickleball is a good transition to improve our mental health as well as our physical health,” she said.
If you are interested in what Pickleball is all about, you can watch the tournament for free and continue on Sunday at 8am at Glass City Center downtown.
Organizers are already planning to bring the event back to Toledo in June 2023.
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