Dave Barksdale
By Josephine E . Moore
Growing up , Beckley native Dave Barksdale was immersed in a number of sports – basketball , baseball , tennis .
So it came as no surprise to him when , years later , he started coaching these same sports .
But he never envisioned he ’ d end up coaching a game called pickleball , a sport that is quite literally attracting millions to courts across the country .
After learning about the game almost by accident and then being tasked by Beckley ’ s mayor to start a league in Beckley in the midst of Covid , Barksdale was surprised by how quickly it took off .
When it started , Barksdale said there were only about five or six people . Now , each of his pickleball coaching or playing sessions are attended by at least a dozen and sometimes upwards of 30 people .
The attendees range in age and level of athleticism , which Barksdale says is what makes the game appealing and addictive . “ Anyone can play it ,” he said . With the games growing in popularity in Beckley , Barksdale ’ s days now mostly revolve around watching and coaching pickleball .
When the weather is nice , he can usually be found at New River Park in Beckley on a bench just outside the tennis courts , now pickleball courts , watching over the pickleball players .
In the cooler months , Barksdale rotates between a number of churches that have offered up their gyms to his pickleball players as well as anyone looking to learn the game . His group also has its own club , the New River Pickleball Club , which boasts roughly 70 members .
They ’ ve also created their own pickleball tournament , named after Barksdale ’ s late wife Gelilah and played at the pickleball courts at New River Park , which were installed because of the growing interest in the game that Barksdale helped facilitate .
Barksdale said that helping to grow the pickleball club in Beckley has given him a new sense of purpose that he ’ s only ever found in being a coach .
“ My wife died two years ago , and so it ’ s been hard , but these are real good friends to me that I enjoy just seeing them smile and the shots they hit in class and all ,” he said .
While he loves to see people embrace this new sport , Barksdale said what he enjoys most is seeing the close-knit community this sport has created .
“ I ’ m so glad I grew up in Beckley , so glad I had a chance to come back and coach and now to be able to do this . . . Beckley means so much to me , just so much to me ,” he said .
Photo by Rick Barbero
SOUTH � MARCH-APRIL ’ 24 � 21