What do you call a combination of badminton, ping pong, and tennis?  Pickle ball.
It is the fastest growing sport in North America and Terre Haute is hosting a pickle ball tournament this weekend.
Pickle ball is played on a short tennis court with a large ping pong paddle and a ball similar to a wiffle ball.
It sounds crazy, but this sport is designed so that everyone can play.

Lori Vancza, President of the Greater Terre Haute Pickle Ball Assoc. says, “It’s for all ages. We have got a couple of 15 and 16 year olds playing today,’ and people like 80-year-old Rex Lawler.
Lawler helped bring the pickle ball trend to Terre Haute and holds multiple national championship titles.
“I have always played something all my life. I mean I played racket ball for 48 years, and I played tennis and I still do today,” he says.

The tournament has only been around a few years and already demand is exceeding available space.

“We have got over 150 people here playing this weekend so in terms of economic growth for Terre Haute, I think that is a great benefit,” says Vancza.

“We would like to get some more courts here because we are just getting so many people here to play they are having to split off and go. It’d be nice if everybody, we had one central place for everyone to play,” says Lawler.

A common attraction to the game is that it is competitive and fast paced without being too hard on the body. Making it ideal for folks that may be a little older, but still want to be active.

“People need to get exercise because the older they get, then they retire. A lot of times they just sit down and don’t do anything. And at least this keeps you up and going and keeps your mind at work,” says Lawler.

As pickle ball gains popularity it continues to bring people from all over into Terre Haute.

“It is nice to be able to put on a tournament here that is local that people can come and travel to because they don’t typically have tournaments in their areas,” says Vancza.

Friday was the singles pickle ball tournament with the male doubles competing on Saturday, and women’s doubles on Sunday beginning at 9 AM at Brittlebank Park in Terre Haute.