I have heard about a pickleball group that meets regularly in town to play. I knew they gathered in the morning, and pre-Hurricane Helene, they would play at both Wheeler Park and Davis Wade Park. Since the storm, they have played at Davis Wade. I have jokingly referred to them as the pickleball illuminati — primarily because I’ve never been able to join them.
I have played a little pickleball myself, although it has been a while since I took the court. I played regularly at the end of 2023. My work schedule changed in January of last year and as such, I have only played once in the last 20 months. When I did play, I primarily played with my younger son and his friends.
Last Sunday, someone spoke to me at church and asked me if I knew about the pickleball group. That led to an invitation to join. However, my mornings are quite hectic and it’s not easy for me to get out there most days. Friday, though, is different. I commented that I would be there this Friday if they would have me.
But first, I needed to get the app. There’s an app for everything these days so of course there’s a pickleball app. You download the app and after you set up your registration, you can see who in your area is playing pickleball. I signed in Thursday night and put my name down for Friday morning.
I played tennis in high school. Like is the case with everything else I’ve tried, I was a pretty terrible tennis player. Playing tennis is not a prerequisite for pickleball but if you have a tennis background, it translates well to the pickleball court. And thankfully, you don’t have to be a very good tennis player to be a serviceable pickleball player.
Before I played pickle ball, I made fun of the game. I wasn’t being all that serious about it — it was just another way to jab at my friends who played. But once I stepped on the court and started playing ,I found that it was a lot of fun.
I’m quite sure the pickleball purists would not like this description, but it really is in many ways a condensed version of tennis. And like most sports that we play as we age, it’s often more about the friendship and the camaraderie than it is about the actual sport itself. I would say this same thing applies to bowling, golf, running, and even slowpitch softball.
I did not know everyone this morning. But I knew most everybody. And the folks I knew were people I hadn’t seen in a while. In the process, I also learned that we shared a common interest.
It was a lot of fun. You also move around to different courts and play with different partners. But don’t let all this talk about fun and fellowship and camaraderie take away from the game itself. They take pickleball pretty seriously. And there are some pretty good players among their ranks.
I did not even have a paddle; I had to borrow one. It’s quite humbling when you don’t even have the equipment you need to place the sport. Add that to the fact I hadn’t played in well over a year and it made for a potentially embarrassing experience.
Thankfully, my partners were patient and we laughed and cut up about my mistakes. They took my miscues in stride. I played for about an hour, three games worth, and then I called it a day.
I think they will let me come back. I certainly hope so. I plan to buy a paddle and return. They seem to be a rather accommodating group.
They like new faces. If you’re so inclined, download the Play Time app and join the fun. You will be glad you did.