AROUND THE POST
6 New Year’s Resolutions
for Your Pickleball Life
BY JENNIFER LUCORE & ALEX HAMNER
2018
was quite an eventful year in the world
of pickleball, and there’s no reason to
think 2019 will be any different. Pickleball continues
to grow at an “overhead” pace, as many of you find
out when registering for tournaments or when trying
to get some court time at your local rec center.
Pickleball itself is experiencing growing
pains, and the pickleball
community is surely
working on their 2019
resolutions.
Here are some quick
ideas to improve your game
in 2019!
1. Fitness: You’ve probably
heard the saying, “Getting old
ain’t for sissies.” Those aches and
pains just take longer to go away
(so we’re told, ha-ha). Endurance
is a big part of being fit and, in
the pickleball tournament world,
endurance is a must if you’re going for
gold. Your draw may start at 8 a.m., and
four to six matches later your finals finally start
at 8 p.m. Then you do it all again the next day. So do
yourself a favor and work on that fitness/endurance
and you’ll be able to enjoy even more pickleball!
2. Eat well: Everyone knows this and we, for sure,
could do better. There are many resources on this topic
but, for starters, lay off the sugary and fake-ingredient
products and eat as much “real,” non-processed food
as you can. Although we still swear by Peanut M&M’s
for tournament energy!
3. Try new things: Practice shots you don’t usually
make time for. How about a few around-the-post shots
or some dink lobs? If you don’t try it in practice, odds
are you won’t pull it off when the shot presents itself in
a match. Or maybe take a shot at refereeing!
4. Have fun: Life is too short to sweat the small
stuff. Sure, it’s great to win, but not at the cost of
getting upset with yourself, your partner or even your
opponents. There’s enough turmoil in our daily lives;
let’s keep the pickleball court our “fun” haven.
5. Socialize before and after games:
Make a point to join your pickleball pals
for off-court fun. It’s awesome to learn
what everyone does (or did) in their
professional lives. This pickleball
“team” we’re all on consists of
nothing short of amazing people—
get to know them!
6. Explore new pickleball
courts: Everywhere we
go, we experience how
inviting and hospitable
pickleball people are. It’s
easy to get into your own routine, but
who knows what remarkable individuals you
may meet at a different venue. You surely will find new
friends and may even find a new partner. If you have
the opportunity to travel beyond your region, pickleball
tours are a great way to see some sights, meet
interesting people and feed your pickleball addiction
all at once. Check into one!
Remember, it’s never too late to make
improvements to your lives in some way or another.
Even the resolution-procrastinators can get started
with our easy list!
Happy 2019 to you all! •
Jennifer Lucore and Alex
Hamner started playing
pickleball in 2010, and have
competed in tournaments
across the USA (and
internationally). Between them,
they have 26 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.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 |
MAGAZINE
23