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Mix badminton, ping pong, and wiffle ball, and you’ve got America’s fastest growing sport

It's been called the fastest growing sport in America, and it could be coming to a park or gym near you.

The name of the game is pickleball. It was invented in the Pacific Northwest, popularized in the Sun Belt, and has been growing in Michigan for years.

So what is it? The hybrid sport borrows from tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It's played with a wiffle ball, and is known for its inclusive and friendly community.

Stateside’s Joey Horan went to the Mary Lou Murray Recreation Center in Ann Arbor to take in the sights and sounds of a recent pickleball tournament. We also spoke to Jeff Shumway, Ann Arbor’s ambassador to the U.S.A. Pickleball Association to learn about the sport’s growth in Michigan.

Listen above.

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Joey Horan is a production assistant at Stateside. He lives on the banks of the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio, where he also works as a freelance reporter.
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