Posted on 02/21/2024 10:15:44 AM PST by SeekAndFind
It is nice to read good news like yours.
[Pickleball] is not necessarily [for] only the elderly.
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This is so true, PermaRag. The sport is unique for attracting players of all ages. At 71, I’m a big fan of the sport and play PB a couple days a week here north of Tokyo. I’m slim and still have the quick reaction skills I learned playing racketball which (sadly) I haven’t played in 35 years.
In the near term, PB will probably NOT be an Olympic sport because it doesn’t have a strong international following. It’s an American game by and large. I’ve seen estimates from other sources that say about 6 million Americans play the game regularly.
There are only 3,000 (est.) players in Japan. But once you get hooked, it’s both great competitive play and a great social outlet. Plenty of young people are picking up the sport, too.
Probably 50% of the people I play with are middle aged - 50 to 65. Another 10% are seniors.
One of the advantages of PB is that 95% of the time it’s played as a doubles game. I asked a 50 year old tennis player why she’s now playing pickleball and she said, “Because I don’t want to run anymore”.
But it’s not always an either-or thing. We play with one of the top women tennis players in Japan, and she continues to play both sports every week.
Locally I play at two locations. First, as a group of 20+ players, we rent an indoor gym once a week, put up the nets and use the same boundary lines on the floor that badminton uses. We pay about $2.00 per person.
The second place we play at for free and is a two-court facility built by a wealthy racket-game enthusiast. It’s outdoors with a small clubhouse and restroom. A tarpaulin above blocks the hot sun, rain, and wind. And the court surface is an advanced material that’s firm but much softer than pavement, so it’s much less prone to injuries. Another advantage is the court is located along a highway so there are no complaints about the the noise of the balls being hit.
The popularity of PB in America speak for itself. If you are looking for a fun and healthy activity, give it a try. It’s an easy sport to try out and see if it fits.
But like Free Republic, be careful because you might find Pickleball an addictive habit.
I’m all for any activity that gets people outdoors. I’ve always hated video games. Ask my hubby about that.
Glad to hear the younger people are seeing the value.
I’m glad at the turn of things in our neighborhood. It can become stale if there’s no turnover. This family has been a real blessing to our community. Not that the other neighbors weren’t. They were awesome folks! It’s just that it’s good to see young families making an instant impact. It helps you remember how it used to be more often. Maybe the tide is turning?
As a Zappa fan, there is always hope for me. Perhaps no redeeming social value, but always hope.
WOW hitting a whiffle ball with a paddle on a court
color me shocked NOT
whatever floats your boat i guess
Well thanks for your post, same things I wanted to say to all the nattering naybobs and nervous nellies. Get over yourselves, PB will be more popular than tennis. 1 tenis court = 4 PB courts and can still be dual use.
For all you old fogeys out there complaining about your limited mobility just 1 thing - try Tommy Chong’s CBD oil.
My aunt was playing pickleball in 2010 and earlier.
She was 80 in 2010.
WOW! How’s she doing today? Still playing Pickleball?
Thanks, BrandtMichaels. It was disappointing to see such many negative comments when we know PB is a terrific sport for millions of middle aged to senior Americans.
Best of all, the sport is a lot of fun.
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