Hannibal area pickleball enthusiasts are offering a class to teach people how to play the game of pickleball.  Pickleball 101 will be taught starting at 6 p.m. Thursday Aug. 24 at Huckleberry Park. Bill Baker, who plays pickleball nearly every weekend in tournaments around Missouri, will lead the class with the help of other advanced pickleball players.

The class is free, but reservations are requested by emailing mlrichards@hannibal-mo.gov or calling 573-221-0154.

Additionally, Baker and others play pickleball at Huckleberry Park every Tuesday evening, starting around 6 p.m. Newcomers are welcome. A pickleball tournament called Battle by the River Outdoor Pickleball Tournament will be Sept. 23 at Huckleberry Park. Registration may be made at www.pickleballtournaments.com.

Registration is now open for leisure, intermediate and competitive pickleball leagues beginning September 5 in the Admiral Coontz Recreation Center. Each league has 24 spots and registration ends August 29. Registration is available at the Hannibal Parks & Recreation office at City Hall located at 320 Broadway.

Pickleball is a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Two, three, or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, similar to a wiffle-ball, over a net.

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