HEALTH & WELLNESS
Pickleball
Prerequisites—
Are You Fully Equipped?
February is American Heart Month. Traditionally the month for love and all
things heart related, February also reminds us to take care of our heart.
A
By Kim Smith, USAPA Ambassador, Fair Haven, NJ
s an enthusiastic pickleball player, you
take to the courts thinking you’re properly
equipped. You bring a nice paddle, good
pair of tennis or court shoes, sunblock,
sunglasses and water bottle thinking you’re
ready for the day.
But are you really?
You’re accompanied by some of your closest pickleball
“buddies,” along with other enthusiasts you’ve come to
know through the sport. Many are part of your “pickleball
family.”
What would you do if someone had a heart attack or
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became physically distressed on the court? Are you—and the
playing venue—equipped to handle the situation?
These kinds of incidents happened last year within our
pickleball community. Unfortunately, both ended in tragedy.
One player died of a heart attack on the court and the other
died of a heart attack in his sleep that night. A few weeks
later, another member with previous heart issues died of
cardiac arrest at home, after spending an afternoon playing
the sport he loved.
According to the American Heart Association, effective
CPR started immediately after cardiac arrest can double or
triple the person’s rate of survival.