OPINION|
In 2021, while on a vacation in Florida, I kept hearing this sound from the recreation area: dink…dink…dink…dink.
If you’ve ever heard a game of pickleball, you know what I’m talking about. My husband and I walked over and asked the players, “What are you playing?” They smiled and said, “Pickleball!” That evening we bought the cheapest paddles, and the next day we were waiting with 50 other people to play pickleball.
My husband and I assessed the age of the crowd playing and immediately thought we could take them, no problem! Two guys, pushing late 70s to 80s, asked if we wanted to play. At first I thought, Oh no, we shouldn’t play these poor souls. We’re going to annihilate them. One guy was recovering from double knee replacements and the other one had coronary artery bypass surgery. Geez. I felt terrible, but we agreed to play. These two older gentlemen enjoyed every minute of whipping up on us. They high fived and clicked their paddles together after each point. We loved it!
Months later and at the beginning of my semi-retirement lifestyle, I started playing just to occupy my time. One can only clean the house so many times a day, and I knew I’d need another outlet. To be honest, I was slightly nervous to show up to the pickleball court, knowing little about the sport or how to play, and even worse, maybe not even knowing anyone. My fears were quickly put to rest by the friendliness of the pickleball community. Their willingness to help a newbie, who also happens to be a leftie, was just what I needed. After playing for several months, I knew I had found the recreational sport I could enjoy the rest of my life! Each day after playing, I was already looking forward to the next day when I’d be able to get out on the courts.
We learned that pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States. In 2022, 8.9 million players were enjoying the new sport. It’s a quick and easy sport to learn and, honestly, you can have zero athleticism and still be able to play. Regardless of your age, size, and past athletic participation, the pickleball sport sneakily grabs your heart and you’re addicted. When I told my two kids that I was playing pickleball, they snickered. They remembered playing in middle school for physical education. However, they too soon learned it’s a fun and easy game, and once you get the gist of it, you’re sucked in.
My inexpensive pickleball paddle was worn out within months. Thinking I was taking the plunge, I splurged for a $50 paddle. Little did I know that paddles can go north of $150-250. Yikes! Being frugal, yet loving the sport, I found a high-end slightly used paddle for $50 which normally would have cost $150. The only caveat to buying this used paddle is that the word “student” is written in sharpie right below the brand name. Who cares! When playing on an open court, people place their paddles in groups of four and in sequence. When it’s your turn to play, someone will hold up four paddles signifying it’s your time to play. My paddle is always easy to recognize since it has the word “student.” One time I didn’t see my paddle being held up and the person yelled, “Student!” Hilarious!
As a beginner, I attended a pickleball clinic to learn the basics. I highly suggest this or private lessons. The last thing you want to do is to create muscle memory full of bad habits. There are many places in our local community to attend clinics, to sign up for private or group lessons, and to play free. The Springfield Park Board has made it easy for beginners to learn to play, www.parkboard.org. Most private clubs have courts and pickleball coaches. Some of the clubs require you to become a member, while a few charge per game to play. In addition, many area churches sponsor pickleball times in their gyms.
A private coach who has been quite a bit of help to me is Alessandra Camara, a Brazilian pickle-baller, trainer, and coach, who has made this area her home. She taught me the importance of slowing the game down to a “dinking” pace. The dink is a soft knuckler that barely clears the net, the game’s biggest weapon. Many games end up in slamming or driving matches; however, if you watch the pros and advanced players, they have a strategy to dink a bit, then go for the point. As Alessandra says, “Slowing the game down takes patience, allowing your mind to help control your game.” She’s right!
If you’re looking for a social and cardiac sport, this is your game. Your initial investment to begin playing is well worth the amazing people you will meet in the pickleball community and the exercise you will get. This is a fair warning….it is an addictive sport, one I admit, I’m addicted to.
And of course, you’ll see me on the courts!
