WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — More than 70 local kids at the Marjorie S. Fisher Boys & Girls Club of West Palm Beach gathered Friday to learn pickleball and blow off some steam during spring break.
Pickleball is the world's fastest-growing sport, and Palm Beach County is ahead of the trend with the Palm Beach Royals, the area's first professional pickleball team. They teamed up with the local Boys and Girls Club to teach the game to the next generation.
WATCH BELOW: Pro pickleball players teach the game to local youngsters
"It's explosive, man, I really think that we can do this, and I feel like they are really a good help," Robert Williams, a member of the Palm Beach County Boys and Girls Club, said.
"Pickleball is amazing. It was very cool, and I like how it’s played. I like how it was demonstrated," Taylor Smith, a member of the Palm Beach County Boys and Girls Club, said.
With pickleball being one of the most popular sports in the county, the hometown team wanted to teach the game to the kids of Palm Beach County.
"We wanted to bring pickleball to a new generation, so what better way to bring it to the kids of Palm Beach County than the Boys and Girls Club?" Chelsea Klein, the Royals strategic partnership and events manager, said.
The kids loved the day of fun, but the lessons were so much more. They were taught by professional trainers and given free shirts and paddles.
"I feel like it's not a bad sport, and I feel like I could do better with the sport, and I could really improve because in the last 10 to 15 minutes I'm already doing well," Williams said.
"Pickleball is really easy, and it doesn't take that much to learn," Smith said.
When we asked if we could expect to see them play for the Royals one day, the answer was a confident yes.
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