By Michelle Rodriguez
The Belton Journal
Local churches are known for programs in the community, and the Belton Church of Christ has a unique gathering on Monday nights – pickleball.
The Pickleball group meets every Monday from 7-9 p.m. Sometimes only five people show up and sometimes there are as many as 10. There are two courts and teams rotate out to take turns playing.
“I started playing pickleball one year ago because it was at this church and Ed Wilks invited me. I come here as many Mondays as I can. It’s better than playing tennis! It’s indoors and you don’t have to run as far,” said Richard Weaver, pickleball player. “I grew up playing sports. Pickleball is an extension of ping pong and tennis, and I like both of those sports. There’s a big group that plays at Chisholm Park and another group at First Baptist Church.”
Weaver said there are more pickleball tournaments going on these days and he has made a lot of friends by playing. “This is one of the sporting activities my doctor says it’s okay for me to play because it gets me moving around. It’s a smaller court and I don’t have to go so far or as fast. This is what I do in my retirement,” added Weaver.
Another player shared how he got his start with the fun sport. “I started playing one and a half years ago and I’m guessing they started two and half to three years ago,” said Scott Cox about Charlie Gibson. “He’s retired. He plays a lot with Ed Wilks. Ed used to play every week but hasn’t been able to recently. Charlie is in a lot of leagues and tournaments. He mostly plays competitively. It’s a fun game. I played tennis growing up and there’s similarities. I play for the exercise, fellowship, and to do fun things. It’s good to play. My wife Jane Ann has played. She works for the church,” added Cox.
The rules for pickleball are simple, and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a fast-paced, competitive game.
“Charlie Gibson was the motivator for the Pickleball Group at the church and got me excited about it,” said Ed Wilkes, who used to play racquetball. “He also played handball in college at Abilene Christian University in 1962.”
“I worked for Belton Church of Christ as Building Maintenance and went into the office and told them about the idea,” he added. “The minister was Richey Hamm. He went to the elders and got it approved. Dick and Joy Starks bought the net, balls, and paddles so they had something to play with. Holley Baldridge worked for the church and went out and got good tape that stuck,” said Wilkes.
The seasoned players at the church teach new players how to play.
“Every Monday, our Pickleball group gathers at the church, where the courts are pristine, the air conditioning is refreshing in summer times in Texas, and the atmosphere is filled with warmth and camaraderie. The people are incredibly welcoming and friendly. This church truly embodies its mission of fostering community through extracurricular activities and creating a space where friendships flourish,” said Mariana Fajardo.
Belton Church of Christ is located at 3003 N. Main St. in Belton. They are a church committed to loving God, loving others, and making disciples. They have worship service at 9:00 am and class for all ages on Sundays at 10:30 am. On Wednesdays, there are meals at 5:30 pm with an RSVP request and a class at 6:30 pm. They have small groups that meet at various times during the week. If you are interested in joining a small group reach out.
Their email address is info@beltonchurch.com and their phone number is 254-939-1816. Their website is beltonchurch.com.
If you want to play pickleball, just show up. It’s come and go.
