YOU WIN SOME AND
YOU LOSE SOME
AROUND THE POST
BY JENNIFER LUCORE AND ALEX HAMNER
E
veryone knows the saying, “You
win some, you lose some,” so
we asked a bunch of winners from
the recent 2017 US Open what they
learned! Here’s what some of them had
to say ….
Simone Jardim: Triple Crown Winner
(singles, doubles, and mixed) for Pro
Division
I learned that pressure is most
definitely a privilege. Going into the
Open I knew the expectations for me
to perform were high. So I embraced
it and used the pressure to my
advantage by playing with confidence
and fire in my belly. The US Open also
reinforced the fact that I can count on
my partners to step up when I need
them the most, as both Oliver and
Corrine did. I have also learned that
eating and drinking properly during
the tournament week is crucial for
any athlete to perform at their best.
It gets really humid in Florida, and
dehydration is always an issue.
Steve Dawson: Gold medals in
Senior Pro Men’s Doubles and
Senior Pro Mixed Doubles
The US Open taught me what I
already knew, which is that you can tell
more about a person’s character by how
they handle their defeats as opposed
to how they handle victory. The
nature of pickleball, with its runs and
momentum shifts, creates outcomes
that cannot be predicted. Those who
understand this the best seem to be the
nicest people; their smiles can be seen,
win or lose, in the stands and on the
podiums.
Ben Johns: Gold medal in Men’s Pro
Singles and Bronze in Men’s Pro
Doubles (Note – Ben is 18 years old!)
Two things stick in my mind about
the US Open: 1. You must play loose!
This isn’t to say you should go for
extreme shots; just play your game
without being scared of playing
freely. You have to try to play with
confidence in your game. 2. In doubles,
your attitude affects your partner. All
of mine had positive attitudes that
allowed me to play easily without any
inhibitions, and I tried to do the same
for them. Everything about you—your
body language, facial expression, and
words—is easily read by your partner.
So even if you’re frustrated, try to stay
positive for your partner. This brings
both of your levels up.
Scott Moore: Gold medals in Senior
Pro Singles and Mixed age 50+
I learned that I prefer when singles
is the first event because it is so brutal,
especially after several days of doubles.
I also learned that it may be time to
play people my own age!
Dave Weinbach: Gold medals in
Men’s Pro Doubles and Mixed age
45+, Silver in Men’s Doubles age 25+
The US Open is my favorite
tournament on our Pro Circuit, because
I’ve learned to enjoy the atmosphere,
the people, and to stay very hydrated
and energized in the heat and humidity
that is April in Naples!
Oliver Strecker: Gold medal in Pro
Mixed Doubles
The biggest thing I learned was
that if you come to a tournament and
you’re not feeling great right away, to
not force it but trust that it will come
eventually. I came in from Germany
and just didn’t “feel the ball” on the
court, nor did I feel great about my
strokes. I should have adjusted my
expectations and worked on getting
back into the flow of the game. But I
got down a little bit, and that carried
through the first couple days of the
tournament. Finally on the Saturday
something clicked and I started moving
better, I started hitting the ball better,
and I started making good decisions.
Jennifer Lucore & Alex Hamner:
Silver medal in Senior Pro Women’s
doubles, and Gold medals in age
Women’s Doubles and Mixed
Doubles (not together for mixed)
The challenges we face are not
always ours alone (the Naples weather
is a good example). You just have to
do what you can and make the best
of it at that moment. During a time-
out during our Senior Pro Women’s
Doubles final match, Jennifer asked,
“What’s the plan again?” The plan had
left our heads, only to be found again
later that evening when it was too late.
We realized that we had just learned a
lesson about staying focused. •
Jennifer Lucore
and Alex Hamner
started playing
pickleball in 2010,
and have competed
in tournaments
across the USA (and
internationally).
Between them, they
have 25 National Titles,
including winning
gold in the Women’s
Open Doubles at Nationals for four consecutive
years (2011 – 2014). For more pickleball fun see
Jennifer’s blog at www.allpickleball.com.
MAY/JUNE 2017 |
MAGAZINE
27