IT’S known as the sweet game with the sour name and Elaine Shallcross certainly has the taste for Pickleball.

Described as a cross between badminton and tennis, Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in North America and Europe - now Shallcross is hoping East Lancashire gets bitten by the bug.

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Played with a paddle bat and ‘whiffle’ ball (similar to an oversized plastic perforated practice golf ball), Pickleball is played on a court with similar dimensions to a badminton court.

Shallcross, who played badminton to county standard when she was younger, has only been playing the sport for two years but has already picked up three gold medals in European tournaments while she is also a Pickleball ambassador for Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

While Pickleball is mainly aimed at older players, Shallcross is hoping to attract youngsters to the sport believing it could be the perfect introduction to a range of racket sports.

“They say it is the fastest growing sport in the world and I haven’t seen anything that makes me not believe that,” said the 61-year-old, a former senior sports development officer at Burnley Borough Council. “In the UK, it is beginning to build up a head of steam and I want to make sure that in Lancashire, as a county, we are not left behind.”

Shallcross was first introduced to the game in Thailand where she has a holiday home and brought it back to East Lancashire.

“There was a lady I met in Thailand called Alison Fulton, who was a Scottish international badminton player,” she said. “She started playing Pickleball in America and got to a really good level, playing in the Tournament of Champions and the US Nationals and won gold medals. So she is a very talented player.

“When she came over to Thailand, she needed somewhere to play and practice, she knew I had played some badminton and asked if I would be interested in being her knock around partner.

“So it all went from there.”

On her return to East Lancashire, Shallcross called on former contacts at Burnley Council and now holds Pickleball sessions at St Peter’s Centre in the town and has recently set up a group at Roefield Leisure Centre in Clitheroe.

“It’s addictive, as soon as you start to play you get bitten by the bug,” added Shallcross who lives in Longridge. “I’m not sure why, perhaps it is the simplicity of the game but I don’t know what I would do without the game now!”

Whether it’s simple or not, it has certainly taken off in North American where more than 100,000 play the sport. In The Villages in Florida - a retirement ‘hometown’ considered the Pickleball capital of the world - there are 178 courts specifically designed for the sport while there is also a dedicated TV channel.

While it will never hit those heights in this country, Shallcross is certain the game can be a success. “All you need is a village hall or the hire of a badminton court,” she said. “We have been playing Pickleball at St Peter’s for around a year now and while the group in Clitheroe has only just started up, it seems to have been very well received.”

As well as trying to promote the game across the county, Shallcross who works closely with GB Pickleball, is also looking to expand the game in Merseyside and Cumbria.

She said: “I have been invited to Barrow to see if I can start something up in Cumbria which would be great and there should be something starting up in Liverpool.

“At the moment, Pickleball is played in pockets across the country.

“Probably the leading county is Oxfordshire because there are a lot of people who would have brought it back from Florida. It is also really taking off in Maidstone where they are doing developments in schools. And they play it in Scotland and Wales also.”

The rules of Pickleball - which is usually played by doubles - are relatively straight forward which makes it so attractive to beginners.

Serves are underarm across court, just like tennis. Scoring is similar to the old badminton rules where points can only be won on serve.

One of the highlights of Pickleball is ‘dinking’ where all four players are at the net. A ‘no volley zone’ means players have to dink the ball over the net which adds excitement to the game.

While Shallcross tapped in to those on the Older Activity programme in Burnley, she firmly believes it is a game that could appeal to children.

She said: “At one stage, I think tennis and badminton could see it as a threat because it would be taking their young players but now there is a school of thought, particularly amongst tennis professionals in America, that what a great introduction method to racket sports pickleball is to lead in to games like tennis.

“Because the ball is lighter, the weight of the paddle is lighter, it’s smaller, easier to handle for smaller people. So there has been a change in mentality and people are realising it has a merit of its own.

“It would be a great game for children to get involved in and I would love to see Pickleball being played in schools across East Lancashire.”

Shallcross’ hopes for the future would be to see more and more people take up the sport and see regular competitions being played in East Lancashire.

“At some point it would be good to see a little league set up around here,” she said. “I don’t think we are quite ready for that just yet but we are moving in the right direction.”

And if Shallcross gets her way, more players from across East Lancashire will be playing the sweet game with the sour name.

For more detail, ring Elaine on 07875 782805 or email elaineshallcross@hotmail.com