In our frenetic world, it is good for the soul to regularly stop and give thanks for what we each have, not what we want or can’t have. Not just at Thanksgiving. But with the holiday approaching, we thought this is an especially good time to ask pickleball players, “What about the sport are you thankful for?”
Nathalie Mathieu, Montreal, Quebec:
1) I started really moving again
2) I started meeting fun people again
3) I started having fun again playing a sport that I enjoy so much
Zen Sutherland of Asheville, NC, says “Pickleball has spared me from the terrors and frustration of golf.”
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Zen Sutherland, Asheville, NC
As a teen, I wasn’t encouraged to put much effort into sports. I was usually chosen last, or close to it, for team games, which led me to believe I wasn’t athletic, but after taking up pickleball in my late sixties, I discovered that I’m actually fairly coordinated and reasonably agile. I’m grateful not only because pickleball gets me outdoors and keeps me fit, but also because it’s given me greater confidence in my abilities. I also appreciate that pickleball can be as competitive or as relaxed as you want it to be. The mix of self-improvement and social connection keeps me coming back, and it has spared me from the terrors and frustration of golf.
I’ve played with Zen and he’s a great person and terrific player who puts wicked spin on shots. And golf? I find it boring.
Marci Sternberg Gosule, Melville, Long Island, NY
I’m most thankful for the exercise but I have made some amazing friends.
Tommy Welch, 44, Charleston, SC:
Man… I give thanks for what this game brings out in people. The laughter between rallies, the high-fives with strangers who become friends, and the moments when competition turns into community.
I’m thankful for the way pickleball bridges generations—kids, parents, and grandparents all on the same court—sharing purpose through play. I’m thankful for the smiles, the sweat, and the reminder that joy doesn’t have to be complicated; sometimes it’s just a paddle, a plastic ball, and good people.
Most of all, I’m thankful that through pickleball, we get to use this sport to connect hearts, inspire movement, and build something bigger than ourselves … it’s more than a game, it’s a lifestyle.
Jessica Diehl, 46, Allentown, PA:
The new friends I've made and the amazing community I've become a part of. That sense of belonging to a sports community was something I didn't realize how much I missed when I retired from volleyball and I'm so grateful that I found it again.
Ken Coston, 61, Anchorage, AK:
1. My wife and I can play a sport together.
2. The wonderful people I have met on my pickleball journey, many have become great friends (Ken is a regular reader of this column. I called him to say thanks a year ago and we have kept in touch since).
3. My health. I lost 40 lbs. and six inches off my waist.
4. The ability to look forward to retirement with a plan. Build my own covered pb court, play seven days a week, and teach kids to play this great game.
I am 61 and love this game as it keeps me young.
Jennifer Kupper, Asheville, NC:
The kind and generous community of players. In Asheville, over two sessions, our players donated 221 pounds of non perishable food for those experiencing hunger!
Having lived in Asheville for a couple of years, I can attest to the kindness and generosity of its pickleball players.
Todd Natenberg, Overland Park, KS:
Pickleball has absolutely changed my life. I have 14 year old teenage twin sons who are 4.0s. We do tournaments together, they do tournaments together. The closeness with our family, the friendships today, the medals with our wins- everything. We can play it anywhere anytime for next to no cost. I am a former 4.0 tennis player. Haven’t picked up a tennis racquet in four years. If I never pick it up again, that’s ok.
Craig Taylor, 56, Huntingburg, IN:
I'm thankful that although I am older and not the most fit, I can play and do well. I'm thankful for the improvements I've made and the people I've met through playing pickleball.
Peter LoCascio of Salem, OR, is thankful that “Pickleball has filled a void by offering new challenges.”
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Peter LoCascio, Salem, OR:
I have found playing pickleball is challenging because it is easy to learn, hard to master.
As a senior (80 years young) I am thankful that after retiring from a career, pickleball has filled a void by offering new challenges in physical performance, exercise and mental stimulation.
The game encourages players to create mini societies where pickleball play can be competitive, recreational and or cooperatively played, helping create an important enjoyment factor for all levels of player performance, skill ratings and age.
(Founder, “Pickleball for Seniors” on Facebook.)
George Samuels, Del Mar, CA
Thankful pickleball is a competitive, yet social sport. At the recreational level, a foursome will respectfully play up or down based on the group's talent.
Thankful that it is a sport that appeals to my hand, eye coordination
Thankful that there are energetic and enthusiastic pickleball teachers on YouTube.
Thankful that I live in an area where pickleball is dominant (Nationals played here).
Karen Butera, Orlando, FL
I’m thankful for pickleball as it had given me my joy back. It's terrific when you play and everyone around you has the joy of 9-year-olds out on the playground.... Total fun with total abandonment of adulting.
Conroy Harrison, Middletown, NJ
I am thankful for the socializing and life perspectives I’ve gained since playing pickleball nearly 2.5 years now. I play with a group of 40 or so players on the weekends usually.
The sport draws very welcoming people and I am thankful for the friends I’ve gained through the sport.
Thoughts of the week, not all pickleball
· I meant to say this a while back, but when the NFL announced that Bad Bunny would be the Super Bowl halftime performer, all I could think of was Bugs Bunny. A sign of my age. Can you believe the halftime performers at Super Bowls years ago included The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and The Who? Their fan bases are not the demographic the league has been courting for years. Hey, senior citizens also watch football and buy stuff.
· Finally got around to watching the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. Timothee Chalamet’s performance as Dylan is remarkable. What’s more remarkable is that the brilliant 29-year-old actor learned to play the guitar (and harmonica) for the film.
· Saw a 60-ish year old pickle baller this week playing in Hokas. I told her the shoes are not safe for pickleball. Her response, “I’ve been playing for five years and haven’t fallen yet.” Judging from what podiatrists (as in this space last week) and shoe experts say, she’s taking a big chance.
· I have arthritis in my back and knots in my upper back. An orthopedist told me I need six weeks of physical therapy. A chiropractor told me, “You want your back to get worse? Stop being active, stop playing pickleball five or six days a week.” That made me feel better. The back pain is only bad when I wake up every morning. Stretching, ice packs and heat get it in shape to hit the pickleball courts. But I hope the morning pain doesn’t last forever.
· My former favorite NFL team, the Jets, have finally won a couple games. Didn’t they ever think of tanking like NBA teams? They are blowing the first draft pick.
· Finished watching Chad Powers on Hulu and can’t wait for a second season, if there is one.
· I am thankful I can play pickleball five or six days a week. I love just about everything associated with it and I am fortunate to write about it here and in Pickleball Magazine. I’ve made many friends through the sport.
· I am also thankful for Dr. Danne Montague-King. He invented Biofreeze Professional.
If you buy any Hudef paddle that costs $169.99, enter my discount code MS30 at check-out to knock down the price by 30%, to $119.99. For the new Mage SCF1 Supercritical Foam, use code MS10 to make your price $135.00. Any less expensive paddle, the code is MS15, giving you 15% off.
