DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY|dewayne@mcnews.online
MOUNT IDA – A pastor’s love for tennis has led to a growing pickleball ministry at First Baptist Church Mount Ida and their first ever beginners pickleball clinic to be held Saturday, February 25.
Pastor Bill Ashburn took a few minutes Sunday night before the pickleball matches to shed some light on how this sport has become a ministry at First Baptist Mount Ida.
He stated that he loves tennis and played in college. Unfortunately, there isn’t anywhere to play in Mount Ida. He discovered pickleball and while at a sporting goods store in Hot Springs he decided to purchase a few paddles, balls and a net for the church.
Pastor Bill laughed and said that he started with wooden paddles but the regular players quickly moved up to more expensive paddles.
The church plays paddleball each Sunday at 5 p.m. They started with one court and four paddles. As word spread of the sport the group has grown to around 20 players each Sunday. The church’s gym now accommodates three pickleball courts on Sunday.
Pastor Bill added that the church has this spacious activity center that was being used one night a week by their youth. Pickleball gives them another activity for the gym. It also provides another opportunity to invite people to church while growing relationships between members. It gives the church a way to share the Gospel while cultivating a healthier lifestyle.
At first sight pickleball looks very similar to tennis. There is a court, a ball and rackets. The ball is a wiffle style ball and the rackets are paddles. The court is half the size of a regular tennis court. Game play is similar to tennis with games being played between individuals or teams of two.
As popularity for the sport grows at First Baptist Mount Ida they have decided to host a Beginner’s Clinic Saturday, February 25, at 9 a.m. Vulcan IQ Pickleball teaching pros Becky Warr and Aaron Fuhrman from Hot Springs will instruct the clinic on the basics of pickleball. The clinic is a great opportunity for people who are interested in the sport to learn the basics. The two and half our clinic is free to everyone but you must register. You can register by emailing Greg Rae at fbcmtida@gmail.com.
The clinic will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a lunch break scheduled for 12 p.m. Open play for beginners will start at 12:30 p.m. Equipment will be provided.
The success of the sport at First Baptist Mount Ida has spread to other churches in the area. Pencil Bluff Baptist Church also hosts pickleball in their activity center each Thursday night.
First Baptist Mount Ida to host Pickleball clinic
