Paige Gifford
Jul 14, 2023
It's a social sport in which players who love to compete can do that, and players who just want to have fun can do that too. Anybody at any level can show up and play
DETROIT LAKES – Pickleball is on the rise everywhere and Detroit Lakes is no exception. Nearly every morning the courts at Peoples Park are filled with players.
Coaches Craig Caulfield, Matt Hedstrom and Shelly Maguire hold free lessons there on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. No matter how many players decide to show up, the three of them will teach them all.Confidence can be a difficult thing to achieve for newer players. That is what the lessons are about. Oftentimes new players come to the courts by themselves. Caulfield wants to help beginners bring up their confidence so that they feel more comfortable playing games.
Caulfield likes to focus his lessons on good position play, where and how players should stand on the court. The social aspect is so fun,” he said. “I have 15 or 16 new friends here (now) and I didn’t know these people at all,” Caulfield said.
Every Thursday for the rest of summer there’s a tournament, with varying skill levels, that players can participate in at no expense. Any players interested in participating in a tournament can sign up at the courts every morning on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.Games person and tournament organizer Sarah Schacht speaks about what the tournament is all about. “People like competition and just to mix up whom plays with whom…make it a little fun every once in a while.”