Pickleball courts are hard to find on the South Coast, but Wareham has just opened three in its backyard.

The Gleason Family YMCA converted an old skate park into three pickleball courts and held a grand opening on Wednesday afternoon.

Pickleball was introduced to the Gleason Family YMCA last fall after Athletic Director Lu Brito discovered the sport. He described it as a cross between tennis and ping pong, and says it's a sport that's about finesse, not strength.

Pickleball courts are smaller than tennis courts, games are shorter, and are played with doubles (two people on each team).

“The game was created out in Seattle,” said Y member Mark Hebert. “The game is small, short, and quick. You can play and not get winded, so it took off with the older crowd. Now the younger crowd are coming out.”

Hebert said his favorite part of the sport is the social aspect of it.

“I like the friendships that have formed from it.”

Over a dozen players showed up to the opening, swinging their paddles and bouncing whiffle balls back and forth.

From 20-year old athletes to 60-year olds with bad knees, players of all ages and athletic abilities were on the court.

“It's definitely challenging at first and it's competitive,” said 20-year old Mason Vasconcellos. The Wareham resident was looking for badminton courts, so he asked Brito if he knew of any.

Brito invited him to try out pickleball.

“If you've never played it before, try it,” said Brito. “It's really fun and it's a great workout.”

Though there were over a dozen players on the outdoor court on Wednesday, Brito said he was alone, hitting the ball against a wall on the first day pickleball was introduced to the Y. One person asked what he was doing, tried it out, and joined him... then another... then another, and so on.

Many of those on the courts have been playing since December, after the sport became a bi-weekly event in the basketball courts at the Y.

Several of them were saying to new people, “you just have to try it.”