The Southern Oregon Pickleball Association is holding its fifth annual Medford Summer Classic pickleball tournament, a sport that has been growing in popularity over recent years.
Athletes battled the sun on Saturday’s all-mixed doubles event at Fichtner Mainwaring Park. The tournament has grown from a start-up competition to now include spectators and vendors who want in on the annual classic. According to the association, 250 participants registered for the event, some coming as far as Wisconsin.
All the proceeds from the 3-day event will help SOPA’s goal of building 25 pickleball courts at Howard Memorial Sports Park.
“It’s a sporting event that can be very competitive, and yet it’s also an event that people are patting each other on the back and congratulating one another, because while competition is important, it’s also a community of people who root for each other. I think that’s what that draw of pickleball is,” said SOPA treasurer Chelsea Broesder.
The tournament continues Sunday with the all-age gender doubles open event.
Source: https://kobi5.com/news/local-news/sopa-hosts-annual-pickleball-tournament-in-medford-276520/