MADISON-The sport of Pickleball has exploded across the Tennessee Valley and Madison is no stranger to the paddle-type sport. The Madison Parks and Recreation Dept. is hosting its second annual Battle of the Paddle Tournament on Monday, July 3 beginning at 8:00 a.m. at Dublin Memorial Park.

Registration is now available and will close on June 23.

The sport resembles tennis utilizing short-handle paddles and a perforated plastic ball and current tennis courts can be converted into Pickleball courts utilizing a portable net system. Huntsville has numerous Pickleball courts and Madison has some additional places to play as well with additional courts to come on-line according to Kory Alfred, director of the Madison Parks and Recreation Dept., who said, “The City of Madison recently purchased the Hexagon property near I-565 and plan to convert the tennis courts into 12 Pickleball courts. An indoor Pickleball facility is also planned and will include 12 indoor courts for play.”

There are leagues in Madison and surrounding communities and the Battle of the Paddle is open to all players men and women. The round-robin style tournament will feature men’s, women’s and mixed divisions where you can pick your partner or an individual without a partner can be placed with a playing partner for the competition. Fee is $30 per player and includes each participant receiving a tournament T-shirt.

Pickleball can be played singles or doubles. No matter which division you’re in, the jargon alone of the sport can certainly be entertaining. Once on or near the court, the Pickleball world quickly takes over with a language of its own: flapjack, rally, punch, slammer, poach, kitchen and opa!

Registration for the Battle of the Paddle at www.madisonal.gov. Questions in regards to the tournament can be directed to Stephanie Elmore at 256-772-2557 or stephanie.elmore@madisonal.gov.

An in-depth look into the sport of Pickleball and the local growth explosion of the court athletics will be available in the July issue of the Madison Living Magazine.