FARMVILLE — Love ping pong? Really like the game of tennis? If so, then pickleball is the sport to try.

Pickleball is a new sport that the Southside Virginia Family YMCA is now offering on Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. and Saturday mornings beginning at 8 a.m. These sessions are offered at Worsham Baptist Church and are open to everyone.

“The good news is that anybody can play, from ages eight and up. It is a fun family game and also a good game for seniors, because it does not include as much running as tennis. It is just a really fun sport. It is fast and provides good exercise without getting on a treadmill,” commented YMCA Pickleball instructor Janet Green.

The YMCA explains that they chose the sport because, not only is Pickleball one of the fastest growing sports in the country, but it is also an unique way to exercise.

“The YMCA is an organization that operates to promote healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility. We want to offer the community as many opportunities to experience healthy living and Pickleball is a great opportunity to do so. Over 100,000 people are currently playing across the nation and now have the ability to play here in Prince Edward County,” remarked YMCA Associate Executive Director Patrick Wilson.

Wilson went on to say, “Pickleball is a low-impact, easy game for beginners and can quickly turn into a fast-paced workout for anyone playing. Everyone is trained and coached the basics and rules of the game through hands-on experience. Players are then immersed into the game and play several matches to gain the strength, confidence, and exercise desired. The Y chose to offer this sport because it is open to all, allows variety to programs offered, and brings the community together under one roof to promote a positive healthy lifestyle.”

The YMCA is also offering beginner clinics for those that are interested. They have had two clinics thus far with about 15-20 people.

“We just started the sport and already have people coming consistently. It will only grow from here,” Green added.