All the rage: Pickleball has hit Belhaven and it’s created quite the buzz

Published 6:34 pm Wednesday, May 28, 2025

By Jason O. Boyd

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BELHAVEN, N.C. — When you hear about Belhaven and all the Beaufort County town has to offer, a number of things may come to mind, from food to lifestyle and nearly everything in between.

Maybe pickleball doesn’t pop into your head first. But it should.

The sport is all the rage around the country. It’s taken off in Belhaven, too, where many people come to play along with others who live here and have taken to the sport like a duck to the Pamlico River. And the buzz about the newfound sport isn’t just a once-a-week kind of thing.

Many of the people here play it nearly every day at the Belhaven Community Afterschool Center, which has two places to play on the basketball court. Others converge at River Forest Manor each Thursday. New adult players are encouraged to join the others there who gather to have fun, enjoy a drink and each other’s company and to learn a thing or two about the sport.

A lot of the participants are seniors who have taken a liking to the sport. A senior club was formed and a 501c3 was created. Seniors work with and teach many of the children who are interested in how to play. Last June, a pickleball tournament was held in Belhaven. Play was held at Charles Smith Park, at River Forest Manor and at the afterschool center. There were 15 teams that took part last year. Up to 25 are expected to play this year.

There’s also a Facebook page, Belhaven Plays Pickleball, that has updates on the tournament, places to play and much more. So, to say Belhaven is all the craze when it comes to pickleball may be an understatement.

“Everybody that plays loves having beginners,” said Jeanne Snodgrass. “Every time there’s a new beginner, they’re like, ‘Yay, come on over here, I’ll show you.’

“So we love beginners. And we’ve gotten so many people involved with the program and seeing the whole play elevate beautifully. More and more people are playing, and they’re getting better and having fun doing it.”

That includes Jack Dugan, the director of the Small Business Center at Beaufort County Community College. He and around 20 other adults were at River Forest Manor to play, enjoy a beverage while watching or just enjoy the scene.

“Well, we’re from up north, and I played a lot of tennis when I was younger, and I also had a ping pong table for a long time, so it’s really a combination of like tennis and ping pong together,” Dugan said.

“Yeah, it’s the friends and it’s a nice cardio. I don’t really like running on a treadmill, so it’s nice to get out and not even realize you’re exercising and you’re having fun and you can have a mojito too.”

Dugan and Dave Reeves helped set up the courts at River Forest Manor for pickleball. They figured out the dimensions and got the equipment needed to play.

“So Jack came over and helped me lay it out,” Reeves said. “So we laid out two courts, and I went online and bought two portable nets. And so we set up.

“They came and we started playing and there were like four of us. And then there was eight of us and then there was 12 of us. And now we’ve got plenty of people.”

The sport is open to all ages and, in fact, many in Belhaven have given it a try. Snodgrass said two sisters who are around 83 years old have played and enjoy themselves despite not being as mobile as they would like. The tournament is an extension of that and has people from all over coming to play.

“We pulled the whole thing together in about a month and it went great,” Snodgrass said. “Like I said, the response in the community was amazing. We had a lot of people who wanted to come and play with us after that. And that community has been so supportive. And it’s fun.

“Even if you don’t know anything about pickleball, it’s still fun to watch.”

It’s not all about competition. It’s about having fun and enjoying each other’s company while participating in something that everyone seems to enjoy and is curious about.

“We don’t worry about scores that much,” Reeves said. “You know, we have to keep score, but you don’t have to worry about it. And like I say, the main thing is laughter, socialization, and that’s what our club is about.”

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