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Governor’s Conference on Aging and Home and Community Based Services Conference – Pages 15-22
Meet Mr. Pickleball By Kim Ibes It all started with a dog, named Pickles! When I caught up with Larry Seekins, he had just returned home to Billings from a long weekend bow hunting with his son-in-law and grandson. They’d been caught in a late summer storm along the Missouri River Breaks, and despite fighting muck and nasty weather, Larry returned with his sense of humor firmly intact. “We have an annual program here in cooperation with Montana Fish and Game,” declares Larry with a hearty grin. “It’s where my family and I go out and exercise Montana’s elk and deer.” For a guy who hates to exercise, he sure seems to spend a lot of time in its grip. “I do hate to exercise, but I love games,” he explains. And Pickleball – a court game that’s been sweeping across Montana and the nation – is something he can’t seem to get enough of. At 73, Larry plays an average of five days/week. Monday through Thursday, he’s mentoring future players, and each Friday evening he’s bringing new people into the Larry Seekins and Rob Davidson celebrate their gold medal win sport. in the Men’s A Doubles Pickleball competition at the 2016 Big Over the past 28 years, Sky State Games. As Larry jokes, “You can spot me right off the he guesses he’s taught the bat; I’m the one on the left. (Photo provided by Larry Seekins) game to more than 1,600 people. He volunteers more than 600 Pickleball hours a year at the YMCA, he’s the Commissioner of the Big Sky State Games for Pickleball, is a five-time winner in the World Senior Games for Pickleball, and that’s just the short list. “I tell myself that Pickleball is just a game, and I play probably two hours a day. My body says you just lied to me, but fortunately I have a bad memory, so I go out the next day and do it again,” says Larry with a grin. For the curious, the uninitiated, and those like me who have seen the banners proclaiming, “Pickleball played here!” but have not one iota of a clue about what they’re talking about, well, this one’s for you. “When people start out with me, I have them sit down and I give them the talk,” says Larry, describing his Friday night beginner course at the Billings YMCA and responding to my question regarding the origin of Pickleball. He gives me the abbreviated version, but his students get the full story. “It was invented in 1965, by Washington State Representative Joel Pritchard from Bainbridge Island who wanted to find a game his family could play in the wind and the rain yet still be outside playing together.” Along with two friends, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, they took the ball that Prichard’s dog “Pickles” played with, dropped a badminton net a couple inches lower, created wood paddles, rules, and voila, you have Pickleball. “Addictive?” asks Larry. “Yes, for some people. (Continued on pg. 55)