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On the Road: New sport Pickleball geared towards seniors

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Classes for pickleball are filling up quickly.

But, there's one 86-year old coach in town who is considered one of the best pickleball players there is.

Several days a week you'll find Marilyn Chaboudy, out on the pickleball court.

She had a long career as a teacher and basketball coach and is still at it.

Chaboudy enjoys teaching beginners how to play pickleball.

It's a fairly new sport that started out being mostly for older folks.

Think tennis, racquetball, ping pong and badminton - competitive but less demanding.

"I love teaching," Chaboudy said. "I love watching these people progress."

Its name has nothing to do with how the game is played. It started in the backyard of a family with a dog.

"They had a dog and the dog used to run and get the ball and the dog's name was a pickle, so they called it pickleball," Chaboudy said.
    
The rules are different in pickleball, there's an area called the kitchen, right off the net, and how you volley in this area makes a difference in scoring.

You play pickleball much like Chaboudy's coaching, encouraging but firm.

"She knows this sport inside and out," player Willie Henderson said.

Marianne Stambaugh hasn't played in almost a week and can't wait to get back on the court again.

"I love this," Stambaugh said. "I mean I tell friends I'm exercising but it's all about the game for me. I love it."

Pickleball is a good exercise for seniors but some younger people are finding out about it too.

"They're playing a lot of pickleball and they are very fast," Stambaugh said.

They'd better bring it because none of them have the experience Chaboudy does.

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