“Pickleball Derangement Syndrome”

 Gene Schubel fell hard for pickleball. Off the court, he fell hard to the floor, twice.

The first time the 76-year-old retired engineer passed out was in October 2022 while shopping in Costco.

“I apparently fell like a ton of bricks and regained consciousness in the ER surrounded by a number of doctors,” Schubel says. He suffered head lacerations requiring stitches. “Must have been a great plastic surgeon, barely can see any scars. My modeling career was saved.”

Schubel fell again 21 months ago. He had taken a walk outside his home near Louisburg, Kansas, and back inside was going to sit down when he tumbled. The fainting spells were attributed to a longtime heart problem.

Schubel learned when he was 42 that he had a congenital heart defect. He had two open heart surgeries in the early 90’s. His aortic valve required replacement. “The valve replacement did not improve my heart enough.” Schubel says, “so now I have a pacemaker with a defibrillator. Needless to say, I was not sure I was going to live, let alone play pickleball again.”

Schubel is on several heart medications and one seizure medication due to having had numerous seizures over the years.

Nevertheless, Schubel plays pickleball five or six days a week.

“My typical day is to play at two locations, four to six hours. My record is three locations totaling eight-plus hours.” He says while his doctors encourage exercise, “I haven’t shared with any of them how much I am playing, but I am not getting winded and have a lot of energy now compared to my one-and-a-half-year recovery period with all the procedures I had.” He says his DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is somewhere between 3.5 and 4.0.

“I first tried pickleball about seven years ago and was immediately hooked,” Schubel says. “So much so, I made a special T-shirt that says ‘PDS survivor.’ The first time I wore it nobody even asked me about it, thinking it was some rare condition and I might not want to talk about it. Later someone asked and I told them it was a mental condition that I had for about seven years; no cure and the only treatment was playing endless hours of PB. ‘Pickleball Derangement Syndrome!’”

Schubel sounds like a guy who lives with a glass half-full personality. That optimism can only help someone who’s been through what he has. He also sounds like he has a good sense of humor. During our two weeks of phone calls and numerous emails, he had scheduled trying a standup comedy act at a local club.

The “PDS” on Gene’s shirt stands for “Pickleball Derangement Syndrome.”

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“I am feeling good and believe pickleball helped me recover both physically and mentally,” Schubel says. “The things I love about pickleball are the competitiveness, striving to improve my game and the social connections made. Not as concerned about winning every game, although I do try.”

He says he’s eating healthier than he did when he was young. “My diet was typical of the time, a lot of sugar, meat and unhealthy soft drinks.” He says he’s reduced his consumption of red meat “quite a bit” and eats more chicken and fish. The heart issues aside, he is in decent shape, 6’1” and 200 pounds.

“My prognosis is degenerative heart failure, drug therapy, the pacemaker, healthy eating and continuous exercise to combat the deterioration. Live every day to the fullest and keep playing pickleball as long as I am able.”

Schubel also does daily workouts that include strengthening, toning and stretching. “This usually happens at about 4-5 a.m. as I am anxious to begin a new day to play pickleball or work on my property doing projects.”  

Schubel spent his career as a civil engineer. He earned a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and was an engineer for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway for 38 years. He and his wife of 47 years, Rita, have three children and seven grandchildren. The couple lives on 15 acres. The property includes a 600-foot pond in the shape of a horseshoe, a symbol, of course, of good luck.

Gene Schubel, 76, is lucky to be alive. And despite his heart disease, he is happy. In no small part due to pickleball.

Thoughts of the week, not all pickleball

· Hudef today released what the company says is its best paddle yet, the Apex Pro 2. The core of the Apex Pro 2 contains supercritical foam and you can get all the details on it here. The paddle’s price is $149.99 (use code MS10 at checkout to knock it down to $135). I have played with the Apex Pro 2 and was impressed by its blend of power, control and spin. Hudef is offering an industry-leading three-year warranty on the core of Apex Pro 2. 

· I played two doubles games at my indoor club this week with a woman I had just met. In the first game she reached high and hit at least four drives that would have been way out. In the second game she did it at least three more times. With the score 9-9, after she hit a rising, screaming drive that was headed long out, I smiled and said, “Shoulder high, let it fly.” She replied, not smiling, “I’d appreciate it if you don’t give me unsolicited advice.” She was right. Even though I thought she was a bit sensitive, I should not have said that. I was frustrated because she played so many balls that would have been out by a mile. I know there’s an unwritten rule about not giving unsolicited advice. If I play a ball that might have gone out, I sometimes ask my partner, “Would that have gone out?” I think it may help me. But I will try to never again give unsolicited advice. 

· Watching a lot of Major League Baseball games makes you appreciate objective announcers not afraid to criticize the team that pays them. No broadcast team touches the New York Mets longtime trio of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling in this regard. Watching other broadcast teams, they say things about opposing players that they’d never say about the team they work for. It’s called being a homer, and there are plenty of them broadcasting for MLB clubs. The Phillies analyst and former player John Kruk is among the worst of the homers. He’s also a weak analyst who says only what we all just saw and doesn’t explain the how or why a play occurred, and that is the primary job responsibility of an analyst.

· The Apple TV+ series, “Your Friends & Neighbors” is a riveting thriller that examines materialistic millionaires who live in a town where everyone tries to keep up with the Joneses. I loved it. John Hamm stars as a hedge fund manager who turns to crime after he’s fired. The first season, containing nine episodes, is over and the series has been renewed. Great writing and wonderful acting by Hamm, Amanda Peet and Olivia Munn, among others. 

· Did I miss the memo saying that when driving, signaling is optional? Am I the only one seeing more and more drivers not using turn signals?

Remember, if you buy any Hudef paddle that costs $169.99, use my discount code MS30 to knock down the price by 30%, to $119.99.