“No matter how slow you run, you are still lapping everyone on the couch” – Buddy Bernier

Is a person who plays pickleball called a pickler? And if they’re playing, are they pickling? If they get in a jam, is it called a pickle? So many questions!

When I was relocating a few years back, I spent much time at my sister’s house with her, her partner, three dogs, and my ailing father. It was saintly of them to have taken him in after my mom’s death and providing me with a soft landing after a breakup. This sister was the family athlete. Excelling at anything, she tried. She was heavily involved in community endeavors and loved doing physical things, whether sports or chores. It didn’t take her long to size me up and determine that I could use a little coaching, so we went off to the Y for Pickleball!

The arena we played at was in a small town, which equaled fewer players, but don’t confuse fewer with less serious. I quickly learned that patience was somewhat abundant in the beginner league, but do not dare try a higher level unless you are familiar with the rules. PLAY THE NET! I enjoyed this new experience when COVID-19 hit, requiring us to put our rackets down and commence solo exercise or solo eating. During the hiatus, I returned to my home and began investigating local pickleball games.

My community center had opportunities, so I went one wintery day, arriving 30 minutes early to register and become acquainted with the facility. I was stunned when I entered the building to find a massive line of players all waiting to get their armbands and be chosen for that day’s session. Lucky me, I was the second last person selected, and I went to queue up for the game. The session was for beginners, so the mood was relatively buoyant. During this session, I learned that a new online tool would be available to register so the line-up would no longer be an issue…at least in person. The sign-up opened at 8 am on Sundays, allowing users to select spots for the upcoming week. It turned out that all spots were taken by 8:05 am, and you were subsequently put in a virtual line. These pickleballers were ruthless retirees! I finally caught on and managed to get in for a game.

I loved it! Beginners ran around the court, swiping at the balls and jumping. It was a true joy. I still remember that one ball flying about 3 feet above me. I went up, swung, missed, and heard a noise I was not familiar with. Ligaments tear doing stuff like this, so off to Physio I went. Retirement lesson: Don’t just be dormant for 30 years and think nothing has atrophied. I am happy to say that even though I have not returned to pickleball, my shoulder has healed, and the experience has made me aware of the need for upper-body toning. I now do a routine every second day with 3lb weights. I know it causes smirks from anyone mildly serious about weightlifting, but it seems to give me what I need.

“No matter how light the weight, you are still lifting more than a beer” – Jill Houston