Another highly successful tennis senior , Dick Johnson of Boise , Idaho , came to pickleball because of a back injury . He finds pickleball “ addictive ” and has brought his children and grandchildren into the game . He has helped support the new 14-court Hobble Creek Pickleball Complex in Boise and believes that pickleball allows grandparents to play with grandkids , “ which is much harder to do with tennis .”
Senior 70s tennis and pickleball player Barb Wintroub is a Pilates therapist and has a degree in kinesiology . She explains , “ Pickleball is easier to play than tennis because of the smaller court coverage , slower ball speed , and less arm strain . For seniors , tennis is harder on the body . At the Huntsman Games , I played tennis and pickleball for several years . Tennis lost participants while pickleball grew
R ! exponentially . Pickleball players stayed to socialize .”
It is not just senior tennis players who are drawn to pickleball . Professional Dave Weinbach is excited to see the explosive growth of pickleball and the PPA Pro Tour . The prize money in Las Vegas was $ 150,000 , and Dave believes that increased purses will attract young players . He came from a tennis and table tennis background and has a passion to teach the game because “ it is so important to learn the fundamentals and skill sets early so you don ’ t form bad habits and have to undo muscle memory .”
Irina Tereschenko began playing tennis in Moscow at age 6 . She played college tennis for Texas Tech . “ I always liked playing mini tennis with friends , so when pickleball came along it was like playing mini tennis for money ,” she says . “ Technique in pickleball is less restrictive than tennis . People want to stay active and even people with no sports background can play pickleball . I foresee more shared facilities that will include pickleball courts .”
Tennis players are impressed with the amount of play that goes on in one day in tournament pickleball . Kathryn Kiel-Sieberth was All-American as the # 1 player for UCLA , then went on to play the pro tennis tour for 10 years . She now plays pickleball tournaments out of Baton Rouge , Louisiana , and teaches tennis and pickleball . “ Pickleball is drawing quality athletes to the sport all across the United States ,” she says .
HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTION IS AVAILABLE
Many tennis players who convert to pickleball want to teach it at their tennis clubs . Wimbledon winner JoAnne Russell came to pickleball because her club needed someone to teach pickleball lessons . She found people who were “ super-competitive ” to play with her . “ Young kids can be much more successful as beginners playing pickleball ,” she says . JoAnne is having a knee replacement and plans to rehab on the pickleball court .
To meet the demand for qualified instruction , Seymour Rifkind founded the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association ( IPTPA ), the first professional pickleball teaching organization . He came from a gymnastics background where he was a competitor and coach . Seymour also founded the World Pickleball Federation ( WPF ) and the first World Pickleball Day , 10 / 10 / 2020 , to introduce the game to new players globally .
“ At the Huntsman Games , I played tennis and pickleball for several years . Tennis lost participants while pickleball grew exponentially .”
The Professional Pickleball Registry ( PPR ) has more than 2,600 certified pickleball instructors since it began in July 2018 . Member Services Director Nicole Hobson explains , “ Certification makes players more marketable in the job market . They need to be multifaceted . Rather than a club having a Director of Tennis , there is now a Director of Racket Sports . Since COVID-19 changed behavior , people who were club members but did not necessarily play are now utilizing courts more than ever before .” The PPR also offers an online course to train tournament desk operation managers .
THE SPORT IS GOING GLOBAL
The World Pickleball Federation ( WPF ) and the International Federation of Pickleball ( IFP ) have spread pickleball throughout Asia , Europe , and Australia . “ Japan ’ s most enthusiastic players are seniors who used to play other racket sports ,” according to U . S . pickleball pro Daniel Moore . “ Tennis courts are not widely available in Japan because of space constrictions , whereas gyms with badminton courts are ubiquitous . Play is indoors because Japan already has pickleball courts in every city , town , and village .”
Swiss player Gabi Stoeckli came from handball to pickleball because of friends . “ Pickleball is coming to Europe slowly but surely ,” she says . She ’ s played at international tournaments and is now sponsored by TOPP Pickleball . For the past three years the Bainbridge
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >>>>
MARCH / APRIL 2021 | MAGAZINE 37