The Peru Gazette

By retired Peru District teacher and principal Jim Howard

When it comes to games, Pickleball is an unlikely name for an unlikely addiction.   While most people associate the word addiction with drugs and horrible consequences, being hooked on Pickleball can hopefully help one to live longer and happier.

Pickleball is a simple game, often described as a legitimate cross between ping pong and tennis.  There are a lined court, net, paddles, whiffle-like ball, and rules.  Oh yes, rules that for a beginner are often confusing and mysterious.  However, after a few games with spot-on tutelage and learning when the ball HAS to bounce, real play can usually begin. 

In the North Country, nearly every community has a delineated court somewhere; you just have to find it.  Peru is a good example.  A former tennis court tucked away on Jenkins Avenue was re-lined to accommodate Pickleball.  My wife, Tracey, and I played quite a few games there with a good mixture of seasoned and new players.  As a result of the high level of interactive socializing that appears to be endemic with Pickleball, many smaller communities’ players have migrated to larger venues where the opportunity for meeting and playing against new people is greater.  So, it seems to have been true for Peru, at least as of this writing.

Thus, when the former tennis courts at the West Plattsburgh park on Catherine Hayes lane were converted to six Pickleball courts, plenty of raucous laughter could be heard on any day it did not rain.  Newbies were always welcomed, hence this story about Newbie Sally.

Adjacent to the Pickleball courts on Catherine Hayes is a blacktopped area once used for basketball but now supporting a  Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning exercise group for those hoping to keep mobility in their future.  One of those members is a woman named Sally.

On a sunny day last year, as the exercise group dispersed, Sally ventured over to our Pickleball arena.  She commented that our activity appeared to be especially enjoyable as players loudly hooted and hollered, all in good fun.  My wife suggested she pick up a paddle and try it!  

Pickleball is generally a quad sport, a team of two swatting a ball across the net toward another team of two.  The play is often fast and furious requiring agility and coordination with a solid sense of humble pie, as scoring is sometimes a slight attack on one’s ego.

Hence, newbies can be easily intimidated by watching; often fearful to take that first step.  Our groups are random and usually quite willing to help a newcomer gather a  taste of the game under guidance from a teaching group of 3 other players.  Generally, most new players pick up the sport quickly and are hooked within the first hour.  It is great exercise and the socializing perfect for folks who are now retired and searching for new faces to hear their ‘great stories’.

Within a few days, Sally did return and initially found she was not a natural on the court but loved the game.  On occasion, Sally would convert a ball in her zone into a great shot.  Like hitting four cherries on a one-armed bandit, the game was addictive.  With encouragement from her teammates, Sally played more often and improved rather quickly.  She now often walks over after her exercise group and plays Pickleball with a welcomed ferocity and flourish.  She is a great partner and hard hitter. However, the best part of the story is yet to be told.

Around mid-May Tracey and I arrived at our usual time, about 8:02 a.m.  To our surprise and outward happiness, Sally was on court six with two friends from her exercise group, introducing them to the game of Pickleball.  Her gentle coaching and sincere encouragement were embraced by her friends and it was not long before they too were laughing and sharing plaudits of praise for shots well made.

During a brief lull in the game, often a rarity, I had an opportunity to ask Sally a couple of questions.  

“Sally, as a relatively new player what do you like about this sport?”  Her response was offered without hesitation.  

“I love sports and sports that keep me moving and healthy are my favorite. I also think we need to practice being social with each other.  Pickleball has helped me meet lots of new people who I now can call my friends.”

When I commented on watching her so patiently introduce the sport to a couple of her exercise friends, she commented:  “It’s rather like paying it forward!”  Or she might have said, “Rather like ‘playing’ it forward!”

“What do you find frustrating about the sport?” I asked.  

“Missing an easy shot and letting down my partner!”  

“That’s how we all feel.” I readily shared. 

 As any experienced teacher will know, the real joy in teaching comes from helping others learn how to teach.  Pickleball is a silly name for a gaming process that is teaching thousands of older Americans that staying healthy, active and engaged pays dividends in the form of physical as well as social enhancements.