VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Carlos Rodriguez loves pickleball.
“I love getting out here and running around, throwing my body around,” he said.
And the Beach resident is good at it—very good. He’s ranked ninth in the world in the 50+ singles pro division.
While 2025 marks the 60th year the sport has been around, it has recently become the fastest-growing sport in the U.S.
“I call it tennis light, ping pong standing on the table, or badminton on a low net,” said co-owner of Pickleball Virginia Beach, Jim Aldrich.
Watch related: Beach elementary students start first pickleball club
The game was invented in 1965 in Washington state by a group of families on vacation. The kids were bored, so the parents gave them some ping pong paddles and a wiffle ball and sent them out to the badminton court, and it evolved from there.
“It’s the only sport I know of in the world where a 73-year-old can be out on the court with a 13-year-old, and they can have fun together,” said Rodriguez.
And as for the silly name? There are several theories, but no one knows for sure.
“The most popular is that it was named after the family dog. The dog would chase the ball, and they would say, ‘Oh, that’s Pickle’s ball now," said Aldrich.
I can tell you firsthand, once you pick up a paddle and play, you’re hooked!
“I think it’s just the attitude and spirit. Everybody’s new at it, so when someone new comes out and wants to play, it’s a very inclusive sport in terms of inviting people in,” Rodriguez chimed in.
While it’s easy to learn, they say, it’s hard to master, and competition can be fierce. There are now several pro tours with names like Andre Agassi and Tom Brady attached to them.
While our resident pickleball pro loves the game, he loves his real job even more. Rodriguez is a Presbyterian church pastor. And believe it or not, the two worlds do collide from time to time—in a good way.
“People have questions about life and everything, and people know who I am and what I do, so this is a great opportunity for me to talk about God on the pickleball court,” he said.
Promoting fun, family, and fitness, Pickleball Virginia Beach and the Pickleball Pastor are positively impacting Hampton Roads.
Pickleball Virginia Beach on Birdneck Road is holding a three-day festival to celebrate the 60th birthday of the sport. Members will be giving free lessons, and there will be food trucks and face painting too. The event runs from Friday, August 8 to Sunday, August 10 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
For more information, click here.
