Debbie Munz was not the first person to bring pickleball to Great Bend, but she’s certainly become a “big dill” in promoting its growth. Ever since this former tennis player discovered the nation’s fastest-growing racket sport, she’s introduced it to dozens of new players and stepped up her own game to include national tournament play.

Pickleball has been around since the 1960s, Munz said.

“I know people that have played 15 years or more. But you didn’t hear about it like you do today. I mean, it’s just all over the place and there are tournaments everywhere.”

That includes Great Bend, where Munz teaches pickleball at the Great Bend Recreation Commission. The Rec sponsors tournaments that draw pickleball players from other states, and its gyms are often in use by local players. Some of the outdoor tennis courts next to Veterans Memorial Park are used daily by pickleball enthusiasts. The city’s Quality of Life Committee, of which Munz is a member, has included pickleball courts in the plans for the future upgrades at Brit Spaugh Park.