How Pickleball Took Over the Gulf Coast | Jackson News

Pickleball’s exploding across the Gulf Coast—what started with painter’s tape and a sailboat in Mexico has turned into a 24-million-player national phenomenon. Deonne and Tom Linenberger, who brought the game to South Mississippi in 2015, now run 129 courts and see 600 players annually at one center alone. Before them, Anita Giani and her late husband Ron Feldman pioneered the sport locally after discovering it abroad; Ron taught seniors, pushed for official court installations, and battled Parkinson’s with joy until his passing in 2021. Today, pickleball isn’t just growing—it’s thriving, thanks to community roots and relentless passion. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ecde72bd0fcc587d