Groups are forming everywhere to get outside and enjoy this new sport. When Millie first heard the name Pickleball, she had no idea what this game was or who was playing it. She went to her weekly Mahjong group and one of her friends started talking about how she had gone to try Pickleball the night before with a group of women from the community. She asked Millie if she wanted to come along next time and Millie immediately answered, “no way.” She went on to say that she was not coordinated and would not know how to play. Her friend shared that they are all beginners and are not overly competitive and the person who taught her was a wonderful teacher who seemed to enjoy teaching them how to play.
Millie still said no, and her friend let the topic go. A couple of weeks later, Millie was walking on the path around the lake when she heard someone calling her name. She looked over and there was her friend, running over, a little out of breath, and excited. “Hey, Millie, we’re over at the tennis courts playing Pickleball and I saw you walking. Do you want to come over and watch us play?” Millie agreed to stop by after she walked a bit more. As she walked away, she wondered why she had said she would stop by. She wasn’t interested in the game and didn’t want to sit and watch someone else playing a game. But she said she would, and it was a good friend, so she walked over to watch. She approached the fence and stood to watch them play.
What she saw looked like a combination of tennis and ping pong. She had played tennis when she was a young girl and she enjoyed it. It looked a bit confusing so when they took a water break, she asked her friend more about the rules. The instructor overheard her and asked if she wanted to give it a try. They were all very welcoming and she decided to give it a try. Again, she wondered why she said yes but she still went into the court and listened to the instructor. They tried a few volleys so she could get a feel for the ball and paddle. Then, they practiced a couple of serves with volleys and Millie found herself liking it. She chuckled at the instruction to “stay out of the kitchen.” Before she knew it, she was feeling comfortable, and the instructor invited two other beginners to join them for a practice game. Laughter and gentle barbs were exchanged. The instructor gave them some tips about things they were doing as they played.
After just an hour, Millie was thoroughly enjoying Pickleball and was interested in how she could play again in the future. They talked about their meeting times and invited Millie to join in a few days. She said that she would enjoy it and she noticed that it was the first time in a while that she didn’t regret saying she would do something. She was really looking forward to it! Pickleball became a regularly scheduled outing, and she made so many new friends while getting exercise and learning her new sport. She would not have ever believed that she would take up a new sport at her age, but she learned that the new sport made her feel young and she enjoyed it.
If you would like to see more about playing Pickleball while aging, here is a brief ABC News video from Australia talking about how it is played by many seniors.
Would you like to pursue Pickleball or another sport as you’re aging? Please give us a call at (920) 740-8441 or email us at sue@coylecaremanagement.com and we’d be happy to discuss how this can be arranged.
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