A clarion call has been issued for Pickleball ambassadors in Fife.
Pickleball is a new racquet sport which has taken Tayside by storm and is now proving a hit in Fife.
And Fife Sports and Leisure Trust (FSLT), which runs sports centres across the region, is championing the benefits of the game.
A cross between table tennis, short tennis and badminton, Pickleball was invented in 1965 by an American family, using bits and pieces found around the house.
It proved such fun that it has become an international success.
However, it’s only now becoming known locally and the trust is looking for people to help run classes.
People in Newport were among the first in the region to try the sport when weekly sessions launched at the Waterstone Crook Leisure Centre in November.
And Pickleball is also now offered at Madras College in St Andrews.
Pickleball launching at other Fife sports centres
Growing numbers are taking part at both venues and FSLT is now expanding its programme.
It is running a taster session at Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre at 1pm on April 6, and anyone interested in becoming an ambassador can go along.
Meanwhile, it also aims to launch Pickleball elsewhere in Fife, including at Levenmouth Swimming Pool and one of its sites in Dunfermline.
Evelyn Crichton from Fife Sports and Leisure Trust said: “Pickleball is a really exhilarating game for all ages and abilities.
“One of its attractive qualities is that players can quickly become very good, which means they get the most out of the game.
“Our taster event in Cowdenbeath is to spread the popularity we have seen in north east Fife.”
Pickleball is also popular in Dundee
Dundee tennis coach David Anderson has also begun introducing the sport in Tayside.
The 29-year-old first heard of Pickleball while on a university placement in Aberdeen.
And he was tasked with finding accessible activities for the over 60s.
And he has already begun classes for all ages at various venues in Dundee.
Nanette Mutrie, of Pickleball Scotland, said ambassadors would help introduce the game to newcomers.
“We mostly play in doubles format and it is always fun to have a partner to play alongside,” she said.
Further information is available on the Pickleball Scotland website.
