It's game time, Roanoke County! No, I'm not talking about football; we are talking pickleball! 
Recently, some staff roamed over to Garst Mill Park for a friendly pickleball tournament. We were fortunate enough to have USA Pickleball Ambassador, Karen Crawford, teach us the rules and provide tips as each team had someone ready to learn to complement the other team member who was a bit more experienced.
The tournament started with The Brine Time facing The Real Dills which resulted in a win for The Brine Time. Pickle-four-k and The Awesome A's took the other court, and in a close game, Pickle-four-k advanced. The Demolishers took on The Leftovers, with The Leftovers taking the win. In a nail-bitter championship game, we saw the faceoff between Pickle-four-k and The Leftovers.
Karen provided great encouragement to the teams, ensuring everyone knew how to keep score and answering any questions as games progressed. It's worth noting that we were only on the courts for about an hour, and in that time, even those who hadn't picked up a pickleball paddle learned quickly and had fun!
Roanoke County has 15 courts between Garst Mill Park, Stonebridge Park, Walrond Park, and Green Ridge Recreation Center that are open to the public.
Watch the video to see whether Pickle-four-k or The Leftovers took home the winning jar of pickles and crowned "The Pickle Champs." Teams are already gearing up for rematches, so stay tuned for future friendly competition!
See you on the courts,
Coach K