Pickleball
ON THE
INSIDE
While incarcerated , David Litman found freedom in a 20 ' x 44 ' space .
By Drew Wathey
To say that pickleball has captured the hearts and minds of the American sports enthusiast , well that might be a bit understated . Courts are sprouting up in every corner of this country , some of them in the unlikeliest of places . One of which is in the recreational prison yard at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington , Kentucky . That was home for nearly eight months for David Litman , who used the 20 ' x 44 ' space as his salvation and escape from reality .
Litman , 43 , was charged with bank fraud involving short sales on real estate properties , and due to his malady of ulcerative colitis , spent eight months in a federal medical facility . But during his time in the yard , and as a former collegiate tennis player , his adept play in pickleball quickly enabled him to avoid conflict with fellow inmates — as long as he would continue to excel on the court , win his matches and cover the bets that were a daily ritual .
“ I was not familiar with the sport at all . I had never played . I did not even know the rules . Moreover , I had mostly seen it offered at retirement communities ,” recalled Litman , who currently lives in Illinois near Champaign-Urbana . “ I just didn ’ t realize what I was missing out on then . Tennis was my sport originally . Boy , has my viewpoint changed on pickleball .
“ Although I felt like I landed on another planet , I was nice , and the locals treated me as such . So , the lesson is the golden rule — treat others how you would want to be treated . Easier said than done when landing in a new world .”
Within the first month of his incarceration , Litman picked up a pickleball paddle after being introduced to the sport by a friend and fellow inmate . With years of playing tennis at the University of Indianapolis , where he earned a BA in Business Administration and Pre-Law , pickleball came easily to him . “ I first played pickleball in June 2021 . That is when everyone noticed my skill set ,” said Litman . “ My friend and I played all the players who were also known for their talent .”
One of Litman ’ s roommates was a very well-respected member of the “ community ” who called all the shots , so it offered Litman an area to live in that was free of nonsense . It also provided an impetus for other inmates to bet on his pickleball games . “ Of course , I did not go out of my way to ruffle any feathers ,” he said . “ I tried to be a good example of how to walk in my faith and to be respectful .”
Once life inside the prison reflected some sense of normalcy for Litman , he knew where to go and what to do to make the time pass quickly and without conflicts or interruptions : “ I made it a point to not be in the building where my room was located too much because that was where trouble was always found .” Therefore , Litman went to work all day during the weekdays and then went to the rec yard whenever he could . Even if it was cold outside , he would venture out .
“ The inmates in charge of the rec yard held pickleball tournaments ,” he explained . “ Naturally , the inmates would gamble on who would win , and those gambling made sure nobody messed with me or my doubles partner so we could win . I made sure we never lost a match during these tournaments . If there wasn ’ t a tournament , I would then play some pickup games . Making sure I kept busy playing pickleball when not at