Medina Rotary embraces popularity of pickleball with new local tournament

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Medina Rotary Club member Carl Tuohey (left) and President Ben McPherson are shown at the tennis courts at Medina Central School, which have been modified this weekend for a pickle ball tournament.

There are 45 participants in the tournament. Tuohey is regular pickleball player in the courts at the Knights of Columbus on Main Street, where the basketball court on the third floor is used for pickleball.

Tuohey said many local service clubs do golf tournaments. Medina Rotary wanted to embrace a growing sport and also put on a unique local tournament.

“It’s good exercise,” Tuohey said. “Anybody of any age can play it.”

In pickleball, the courts are smaller than in tennis. The pickleball court is 20 feet wide by 44 feet long. This group practices together as doubles teams on Saturday after they competed individually. They include Pete Zamniak (Medina native now in Rochester) and Sean Greif of Rochester on the left side playing against Will Soos of Buffalo and Jordan Hogan of Lockport.

Pete Zamniak returns the ball on Saturday. He said pickleball isn’t as physically taxing as tennis because the court is a smaller space. Pickleball is a test of quick reflexes and hand-eye coordination. The serve also isn’t an overheard serve like with tennis. The ball is similar to a whiffle ball, and the players use paddles, rather than rackets.

The top three individual players on Saturday include, from left: Will Soos of Buffalo, second; Jordan Hogan of Lockport, third; and Sean Greif of Rochester, first.

Jordan Hogan, right, hits the ball back over the net. Will Soos is at left.

Today there will be 16 doubles teams playing in the tournament.