2021 USA PICKLEBALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By Phil Mortenson
USA PICKLEBALL CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
BOARD CHAIR Phil Mortenson
BOARD VICE CHAIR Laura Patterson
AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBERS
Philip Bullen Bob Franceschelli Suzanne Guerin Ernie Medina Robert Quicksilver
USA PICKLEBALL STAFF
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Stu Upson
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Justin Maloof
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER George Bauernfeind
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Dan Ellsworth
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COMPETITION
Karen Parrish
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS
Hope Tolley
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP
Nikki Greene
DIRECTOR OF OFFICIATING Mark Peifer
DIRECTOR OF AMBASSADORS Steve Stone
DIRECTOR OF EQUIPMENT STANDARDS
Carl Schmits
DIRECTOR OF EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE
Donn Paben
HEAD OF PARTNERSHIPS John Greene
DIRECTOR OF MEDIA RELATIONS Laura Gainor
DIGITAL MANAGER Kevin Brown
TO YOUR HEALTH — LIVE LONGER AND SAVE MONEY
Only one in two adults and one in four adolescents participate in enough physical activity to meet the minimum nationally recommended level of aerobic physical activity . Most of us are aware that being physically active is associated with a lower risk for many diseases . Among them are Type 2 diabetes , depression , cardiovascular disease , many cancers , dementia , and premature death . But are we also aware that the cost of health care associated with low physical activity escalates with age ?
An NIH-AARP study determined that people who exercised with a moderate level of activity , such as by playing pickleball , realized lower health care costs —$ 1,200 a year lower after age 65 — than people who had been consistently inactive since adolescence . The health care cost savings for people engaging in high physical activity were even greater —$ 1,350 lower per year . Don ’ t fret if you waited until middle age to pick up a pickleball paddle and join the fun . Middleage starters had health care cost savings averaging $ 824 per year . The takeaway : Health care savings in later years are much greater for adults who maintain moderate or high physical activity levels .
And now a segue from hearse to verse :
Oh , why in my favorite sport , |
Most players strike balls with a zing |
Do I find myself needing support ? |
While taking a sizable swing . |
As my drives hit the net , |
But for this lazy geezer , |
The more anxious I get . |
I just dink a soft teaser , |
Is rehab my final resort ? |
Snap my wrist and go with the ping . |
One article among many that you may enjoy in this edition of Pickleball Magazine is about the twins who set a new record for the longest pickleball rally . If you ’ re interested in finding out how many shots it took to set the record and how long that rally lasted , read on . And if you are wondering what the record is for the world ’ s longest kiss , the answer is 46 hours , 24 minutes , held by a Thai couple in 2011 .
I ’ m happy to report that pickleball tournament registrations are surging and , to quote William Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes , “ The game is afoot .” Grab your paddles and get going . You ’ ll end up happier and healthier ! •
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021 | MAGAZINE 9