My family has officially joined the Pickleball craze
It’s official - my family has joined the pickleball craze.
We had been hearing about pickleball for some time but didn’t dip our toes in until August. This summer a good friend and her husband invited us to play with them at their country club. They play regularly and were patient enough to teach us the basic rules.
We spent two hours in the hot August sun playing pickleball and we loved it.
We soon discovered that it wasn’t easy finding somewhere to play, especially since we were brand new to the sport. Our gym (the local community center) has open pickleball hours but they were mostly in the morning during the week. These hours just aren’t compatible with our work schedules.
Plus, it is SO intimidating to try something new with people you don’t know.
And in case you didn’t know, pickleball people are serious about their pickleball.
We let months go by and only occasionally talked about figuring out where we could practice. We’re busy people and it seemed tough to find the time to play.
I finally convinced my husband during the vacation week between Christmas and New Year’s to go with me to the morning hours at our gym. We were both nervous since we didn’t know the “rules” about the open hours and were new to the game. But since I have taught at the gym for years, I knew people and we were quickly welcomed to the group. We were so pleasantly surprised. It was so much more open than either of us expected.
We also learned they were also very organized and very serious about the game. Again, pickleball players are serious about their pickleball.
In case you live under a rock, pickleball has really taken off in America. Just look at the news for articles on the sport and information on new courts and clinics. If you talk to pickleball players, they are very enthusiastic about the sport and throw words like “dink” and “kitchen” around as if everyone is in the know.
Now I freely admit I’m a solid C+ player, but I still find the game fun to play. If you haven’t played yet, it’s basically a mix of tennis, racquetball, and other paddle sports with its own set of complicated rules and scoring. It’s played with a wiffle-type ball which makes it not quite as intimidating as racquetball.
I may be a mediocre player, but my husband has really taken to the game. He has a background in racquetball so pickleball has come easier to him. He has jumped in with both feet and is now playing every week. And most importantly, he is loving it and making the time to play.
Nicholas playing for the first time
Even better, my 16 yo son wanted to try pickleball. He has played several times and is enjoying learning the game. He’s a natural athlete so it has come easy to him. And since he is 16, he thinks nothing of leaping for the ball or taking a hit from the floor. It’s great to watch the two of them playing and taking the game so seriously.
They have even joined a league together as a team.
That’s right; my son and husband are starting next week in a pickleball league on Monday nights. They are both fully invested.
My house has now become a pickleball house. Tim has been researching paddles and watching YouTube videos on techniques and game rules - he shares them with Nicholas. We are planning our Saturdays around the open pickleball hours at the gym and making sure we have the correct footwear. I love the commitment and excitement around a new activity.
So starting next Monday night I will be at the gym cheering on my husband and son as they compete in their pickleball league. I can’t wait.
