around the post
By Jennifer Lucore & Alex Hamner
What an Introduction!
For most pickleball players, someone
introduced you to this awesome sport. He or
she took the time and effort to explain and
show you what the game is all about.
We were introduced to pickleball by Jennifer’s parents,
Bob and Beverly Youngren, of Arizona. Bob and Bev
were introduced in the
late 1990s by Keith Bissel of
Arizona, and it goes on and
on. We are so grateful to Bob
and Bev for connecting us to
this game—and for starting
our 11 years (so far) of fun— Late-night finals with Beverly
we can’t imagine life without Youngren, Alex Hamner, Jennifer
Lucore, and Bob Youngren.
pickleball!
Here’s a shout out to a few
other influencers who introduced pickleball to some of
its most notable players.
Dan O’Toole of Michigan introduced Simone Jardim,
Corrine Carr, Catherine Parenteau and Joey Farias (now
that’s a lineup) to pickleball. “Dan O’Toole came to the
Michigan State tennis facility where I was the tennis
coach and invited me to play pickleball,” says Simone.
“But he wasn’t just working on me, he was working on
getting Joey Farias involved and he had already gotten
Corrine Carr into pickleball. The four of us would play,
and it was easy to have fun because our group was not
only gifted, but Dan had really good strategy. He also
worked with me on my singles game. What can I say,
except thank you, Dan!”
While attending Michigan State University for grad
school, one of Corrine Carr’s tennis friends, Dave
Metevier, talked her into playing pickleball for the
first time. “If Dan O’Toole had not been on the court
during that first introduction to pickleball and taken
an interest in my game and provided a great group to
play with—Simone, Joey
and Catherine—I may
not have committed to
pickleball,” says Corrine.
“Things for me would not be
the same if it wasn’t for Dan.
I’m so grateful for the effort
he made to get me on the
Dan and Kellie O’Toole
court—thank you, Dan!
Ross Deakin of Canada introduced his son, Steve
Deakin, to the game. “In 2017, I was home with an
injury to my shoulder from tennis,” says Steve. “While
rehabbing, my dad suggested I try pickleball at the local
rec center in Pitt Meadows,
BC. I’m so grateful for that
introduction because it’s
allowed me to again compete
at the top level of a sport
where my quick eyehand
coordination and
point construction can be Ross Deakin and his son Steve.
showcased.”
Tyler Sheffield of Utah introduced the game to Tyler
Loong. “One of the originals of Utah pickleball, Tyler
Sheffield lived just a few houses from me when he
asked me to come out and try this crazy game called
pickleball,” says Loong. “From the moment I stepped
onto the court, I knew this game was something I had to
play—and the rest is history. Thanks to Tyler Sheffield,
and his thoughtfulness to invite me out five years ago,
I’ve gone full-time pickleball and have been able to meet
new people and make new friendships that I will cherish
for life.”
Mark Cook of Washington turned Lindsey and
Riley Newman into picklers. “Riley and I heard about
pickleball from Mark Cook, who told us we should
give it a try,” says Lindsey. “We played our first game at
Pickleball Station in Kent, WA, in August 2017 and loved
it. After playing for several hours at Pickleball Station,
Mark informed us about
an upcoming tournament
in Oregon. Mark told us to
register and that he would
take care of the rest. He let us
use his paddles because we
didn’t have our own. He was
our biggest supporter, and
he carried Riley to a men’s
doubles gold. We are forever
grateful to Mark!” •
Jennifer Lucore and Alex Hamner started playing pickleball
in 2010, and have competed in numerous tournaments in
the U.S. Jennifer has competed internationally and is a 2019
Pickleball Hall of Fame inductee. Jennifer and Alex have
26 national titles, but are best known for winning gold in
Women’s Open Doubles at Nationals for four consecutive
years (2011-2014). They live with their respective families in
North San Diego County. For more pickleball fun, visit Jennifer’s
blog at www.allpickleball.com.
Mark Cook cheering on the
Newmans in Bonita Springs, FL,
last year.
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