It’s a blazing, 100-degree day in Kubugu, a remote village in northern Ghana. It’s so remote that it is referred to as “overseas” because for many years it was only accessible by canoe. Kids run to school early in the morning and begin shooing away the billy goats who slept on the freshly-built concrete pickleball courts in the center of the schoolyard, to play a quick set of pickleball before school begins.
The sport didn’t arrive in Kubugu on accident, but rather when several Chapel Hill organizations gathered funds, balls and paddles to send to the village in 2014 .
Pickleball, a unique combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis, has grown in popularity in recent years. Its objective is simple: hit a ball over a net with a paddle. The two main rules are the two-bounce rule, and the no-volley rule, both of which are pretty self-explanatory. These rules allow the sport to be played by nearly anybody, of any age or skill, which has helped it expand to nearly 3.5 million players in America.
In Chapel Hill, there are currently over 800 dedicated pickleball players, including Winkie Laforce, a coach and player who is in her 70s.
“These two rules, the two-bounce rule, and the no-volley rule, really equalize the game for everybody,” says Laforce. “The thing about pickleball that is so wonderful is that my grandchildren play, my children play, I play; I’m in my 70s, and I can hold my own.”
Chapel Hill has developed into a major center of pickleball, with more players than court space. Currently popular courts include Ephesus, Hargraves and the Chapel Hill Community Center.
“We are outgrowing our courts,” said Laforce. “Our dream is to build a big complex on the empty property on Legion Road.”
Laforce herself has travelled to Kubugu dozens of times since 2000, when her church sent a missionary group to the village. They have built solar panels, wells and a preschool since, and most recently the pickleball court in the center of the schoolyard, which many members of the village helped build.
The accessibility of pickleball, with its minimal equipment and friendly rules, has allowed it to grow; in both Chapel Hill and Kubugu, players of all skill levels are able to come together as a community on a little cement court to socialize and have fun.
“Our little tagline is you can find a game of pickleball anywhere,” says Laforce. “Either in North Carolina, or North Ghana; it’s everywhere.”
