England Lionesses . PHOTO BY JONATHAN BRADY / PA
would not have met if it weren ’ t for pickleball .
So , what did the audience take from this ? The need to build community at the grass roots . The need to build the social element into their offering and the need to encourage volunteers , a vital part of community building as well as sharing the workload . Finally , the importance of taster sessions and visibility of the sport .
The 2022 Euros were amazing , with a fairy-tale ending for the England team . With capacity crowds there was no trouble whatsoever . There were lots of families in the audience with young girls and boys enjoying the game and the atmosphere . The England team played as one . It didn ’ t seem like there were any egos involved ; they were all playing for each other , to do the best they could for the team , their manager and country .
Alex Scott , a former England footballer , said England ’ s win reminded her of the United States winning the World Cup in 1999 , adding , “ It changed the face of football ( soccer in America ) forever . This is the moment in England .
“ I ’ m not standing up at corporate events in front of sponsors any more begging for them to get involved in the women ’ s game , because you know what ? If you ’ re not involved then you ’ ve missed the boat , you ’ ve missed the train because it ’ s finally left the station and it is gathering speed .”
I see the parallel with pickleball in the USA and I know we will build that head of steam in the UK within the next few years . •
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 | MAGAZINE 63