WINNING
families
Bob and Beverly Youngren and their daughter,
Jennifer Lucore, win big at Nationals VIII.
B
ob and Beverly Youngren and their daughter, Jennifer
Lucore, made winning at this year’s USAPA Nationals VIII
another family affair. While Bob took silver in mixed doubles
70+ and bronze in the 70+ men’s doubles, Beverly won the gold
in the 70+ women’s doubles and fourth place in mixed doubles
70+. Jennifer, a 16-time USAPA Nationals champion, joined
them in the winners circle as she took gold in the 50+ women’s
doubles, silver in senior open singles and fourth place in open
mixed.
Bob and Beverly were introduced to pickleball in the late
1990s while on an RV trip to Bend, Oregon.
Jennifer attended the very first USAPA Nationals in 2009 to
watch her parents compete and from there found her own love
and passion for the game. “I absolutely love the sport and the
people who play,” she says.
Pickleball has taken the family across the world including
Costa Rica, Cancun, Jamaica, Spain, Mexico, The Netherlands,
Canada and all over the United States.
“As retirees, we love pickleball because it enables us to stay
active, healthy and have a lot of fun!” says Bob. “And during our
family holidays, we of course find time to play,” adds Beverly,
whose grandchildren enjoy the game just as much as she enjoys
teaching it to them.
THREE ‘MOORE’ GENERATIONS
OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
On November 9, 2016, at the USAPA Pickleball Nationals
VIII, Daniel Moore survived a grueling field to win gold in the
19+ singles, becoming a USAPA Pickleball National Champion
for the fifth time. That same day, his grandfather, 85-year-old
Carl Brumley, who resides in Ft. Worth, Texas, was the last
man standing and awarded the gold medal in the 85+ singles
division. Later that evening, father Scott Moore, of Colorado
Springs, followed suit in the 50+ singles, completing the first
three-generational family triumvirate, a record that may never
be matched.
“We never thought in our wildest dreams that anyone in our
family would ever be a national champion,” said Daniel, 27.
Scott said, “We are excited to have found what we feel is
the best sport ever invented. The combination of mental and
physical skills means that anyone can continue to improve in
pickleball, even as we continue to mature. Thanks to pickleball,
I am having fun and learning that sometimes dreams do come
true.”
SCOTT MOORE TAKES SIX GOLDS
Scott is a self described “racket sport junkie,” which goes
back to when he was age 5 and his dad gave him his favorite
Christmas present of all time: a ping-pong table. “The best part
was that my dad played countless hours with me, and helped
me become an exceptional ping-pong player at an early age.” A
couple of years later, his mother, Mary Alice, began to take him
to play tennis almost every day. Soon he was hooked, becoming
a top ranked junior in Texas.
Last month, Scott accomplished an amazing feat that may
never be seen again… he took gold in all six open, mixed and
age divisions he entered at the National Championships. He
said, “Winning all six events at Nationals VIII was a dream. I am
grateful to God for having been blessed with the gifts of great
health, coordination, reflexes, and a supportive family — all of
which contribute to the dream journey that we are living!”
Scott concluded, “It was awfully fun, especially getting to
play with five different partners in those two tournaments. It
is exhilarating to be able to compete with guys 20 and 30 years
younger, and be fortunate enough to sometimes beat them.”
Scott has since turned his passion for travel and pickleball
into a family business, taking people on pickleball tours
and conducting camps and clinics all around the world
(pickleballtrips.com). Next year the organization will do about
20 pickleball clinics and boot camps around the states. It also
will offer pickleball tours to Japan, Mexico and St. Croix, Virgin
Islands. •
DECEMBER 2016 |
MAGAZINE
51