LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The game of pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States and in celebration, Tuesday is dedicated as National Pickleball Day.

Though National Pickleball Day only started being celebrated in 2021, the sport has been around for 57 years.

Pickleball combines traditional lawn tennis, ping-pong, table tennis and badminton. The game is played with ping-pong rackets on a badminton court with a tennis net.

The sport was created when three friends, ex-congressman Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, attempted to entertain their families with a game of badminton, but they had no shuttlecock or rackets.

After grabbing a wiffle ball and plywood paddles and lowering the net, a new game was born.

According to a map on Pickleheads.com, there are over 20 pickleball courts in central Arkansas that can be accessed either for free, or with a membership fee.

In Little Rock, Kanis Park has six outdoor courts and can be accessed for free by the public. Another free place to play in the Capital City is Meriwether Park, which has two outdoor hard courts that feature a taller net.

Other places in Little Rock include Rebsamen Tennis Center, The Athletic Clubs on Sam Peck Road, the Jim Dailey Fitness and Aquatic Center and the Little Rock Racquet Club.

In North Little Rock, there are 12 outdoor hard courts that have been newly installed at Burns Park and are free to use. There is also a court available to play with membership fees at the Hays Senior Center on W. Pershing Blvd.

There are three indoor courts available for use in Maumelle at the Jess Odom Community Center on Edgewood Drive and a one-time fee is available to play.

Berryhill Park in Searcy recently opened seven new outdoor pickleball courts that are free for use and equipped with everything needed to play.

In Faulkner County, there are two different venues with indoor courts for those looking to try their hand at the game, including the Don Owens Sports Center in Conway and the City Event Center in Greenbrier. In Lonoke County, you can play for free at the Veterans Park Community Center in Cabot.

For those in Saline County, there are three options, including the Trace Creek Country Club and the River Center at Riverside Park in Benton, as well as The Center at Bishop Park in Bryant.

Meanwhile in Garland County, you can get your pickleball fix at Hot Springs Village on Desoto Blvd, which has 14 outdoor courts and require a one-time fee. Hot Springs has three options to play including the Hot Springs YMCA, Hot Springs Health and Fitness and Vulcan Pickleball Park.

If you are hankering to start playing pickleball but not sure how the game works, check out USAPickleball.org to learn the rules of the game.

To learn more about fun activities to do in central Arkansas, be sure to check out our Local Events Calendar.