MY PICKLEBALL STORY
Pickleball & Me
BY MARY SASALA, LITTLE ELM, TEXAS
“I
t’s pickleball,”
the front desk
attendant at
my local gym explained.
“The senior center plays
in the gym on Mondays,
Wednesdays and
Fridays.”
I peeked through the
glass as I checked
myself and my three
kids in: “It looks like
fun! Can non-seniors
play?”
“You’d have to ask
them,” the attendant
responded.
I was a year-and-a-
half postpartum with
my little girl. After
my previous baby, I’d
trained for a half-
marathon, but running
the
at
ore
idm
Sk
Mary Sasala and Dave
did
not hold my interest
oma.
State Games of Oklah
too long. Here I was, for
the third time, trying to regain my
athletic abilities after having a baby. And again, I was in
a rut. Maybe pickleball was the answer.
I was a competitive athlete in high
school, culminating with a Division I
college scholarship in swimming.
Competing was in my blood—I
inherited it from my father,
who was a competitive tennis
player. My aunts were also
top tennis players for UCLA
and my grandparents were
active well into their 80s.
Six years into motherhood
and four years into
stay-at-home status are
everything I dreamed of
and more. And like every
dream, it’s much harder
than you think.
But that day at my local gym,
I was looking for a place—
some way—to fulfill my need of
competition and camaraderie that
only sports can fill. But it needed
to be conducive to my stay-at-home
status and the three kids who would
follow me along.
32
That day, I took the attendant’s advice and walked into the
gym, not knowing a soul. The players were at least twice my
age, most were older than my parents, but all welcomed me
and began to teach me the game.
There were good players and recreational players. There were
players full of advice and coaching and those who didn’t say
a word. There were players who wouldn’t play with me, and
those who encouraged me to be better.
A year later, I’m one of the “good” players, traveling around
the area to play pick-up games and tournaments. I play in
ladder leagues and am a USAPA member. I convinced my
mom, dad and husband to begin playing. My dad and I compete
together in various USAPA tournaments, and my husband
and I spend our Saturday mornings in the gym drilling and
competing.
One weekend, we went to the home of a couple who have
a pickleball court in their backyard. We had met them at a
USAPA tournament a few months prior. The only thing we had
in common was pickleball. The afternoon bled into evening
and it was one of the best Sundays we’ve had as a family. We
ate, played pickleball and became friends.
Pickleball is a fast-growing sport, and growing rapidly among
the retired. But it’s also a great sport for moms like me. It’s
a place to be competitive and has a community to teach and
uplift.
The gym where I was introduced is where I still play most
of the time. It has child care, which allows me to
drop my kids off and play pick-up for two hours
three times a week. I’ve introduced the
sport to others my age and now there
are plenty of players my age in
the gym.
Pickleball is a
fantastic game that isn’t
just for seniors or retired
members of a community. It
appeals to millennials in the
workforce, and there’s a
place for it in schools.
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Pickleball is a fantastic game that
isn’t just for seniors or retired
members of a community. It
appeals to millennials in the
workforce, and there’s a place
for it in schools.
If you’re an ambassador or
organizer of this growing
sport, remember those of
us with small kids at home
hoping for a diversion. Or the
busy working mom or dad who
may need a break once a week.
Look for the athletic 20- and
30-somethings and invite them
to play.
Pickleball has brought me joy. It has
room for many more like me.