Adventures in Pickleball

Win or lose, this game is easy to pick up and hard to put down

By Jake Ten Pas

The biggest peril of pickleball is pulling a muscle — from laughing too hard. That might not be completely true, but the risk is real according to Pickleball Committee member, and regular participant in MAC’s daily open play, Dana Bach Johnson.

“It’s such a fun and funny sport. Even when it’s super competitive, sometimes the best athletes just totally spazz out while hitting it, or miss a serve, and you can’t help but laugh,” Johnson says. “We’re just out there cracking up!”

“Most everyone who plays it enjoys it. You can tell by the smiles on their faces,” adds committee member Gary Smith, who has been a key part of growing the game at MAC. “Gay Kelley Hart started an interest group here around 2015-2016, and I attended from the start. Since she traveled to Palm Springs during the winter, she asked me to keep the ball rolling. I started with a monthly newsletter, and we kept getting more and more players showing up!”

Smith knew that ensuring participants learned enough about pickleball to have a great time and want to return was key, so he made it his business to teach beginners, earning himself the Joe Loprinzi Inspirational Award in 2018 for his efforts. “It’s easy to learn, but takes a lifetime to master. It was started as a sport that ex-tennis players enjoyed, but soon became one that younger players embraced. In fact, the top players are younger than 30 years old,” he says.

Now, the numbers of members wanting to play has surpassed the club’s ability to keep up with court space, Smith adds. Fortunately, MAC’s Pickleball community remains welcoming of any and all interest.

“We host beginner clinics and we’re looking to actively grow the sport. Where a lot of sports are like, ‘Don’t tell anyone. I want to reserve that court,’ we say, ‘Come join us. Let’s build this sport!’ I think we’re a very openminded and friendly group,” Johnson says.

She first came to pickleball in late 2019 after 10 years of playing tennis and a detour that was nothing to smile about. “My vitals were all out of whack, and my doctor put me on rest for four months,” Johnson recounts. While recovering, she started walking the track as a way to gently incorporate movement back into her life, and saw some of her tennis buddies playing pickleball in the Main Gym. They invited her down, and soon she was cleared by her doctor to try an introductory class.

“Gary fed me serves, and I missed every single one at first,” she says. “He worked with me, and fed me 20 more, and I got maybe eight this time around. He’s like, ‘Now, we’re getting someplace!’ I started playing Monday and Wednesday with the beginners, and then they invited me to come Tuesday and Thursday for the advanced sessions.”

Unfortunately, after playing for a few months, Johnson got some even worse news in January of 2020. She had aggressive breast cancer, and that meant six rounds of chemotherapy and surgery. “These guys I met on the pickleball courts, and especially Dave Davidson, checked in on me all the time,” Johnson says. “They just became such a big part of my life, and this new community was taking care of me and wishing me well. I knew that I had that to come back to when I beat cancer.” Between her treatment and a suitable period of pandemic-instigated lockdown to protect her immune system, Johnson wasn’t able to make it back to her newfound group of friends until April 2021, when most pickleball was being played outside.

“I’m still in physical therapy, so I can’t really serve very well, but I can underhand hit the pickleball really well. So, I just love it, and I love the people I’ve met.”

Smith points out that MAC has been incredibly supportive in providing the facilities for this sport, enabling the social bonds that enhance the experience for everyone involved. “This community has a really strong interest in the game, and the club invested in an outstanding outdoor court. With the growth of the sport, we can always use more court time!”

As fans of pickleball are fond of saying, it’s the fastest-growing sport in the country, and this insatiable demand can perhaps be attributed to the game’s inherent ability to be enjoyed by players with a wide range of experience and ability. “It kind of levels out the play,” Johnson explains. “There’s a line on the court that defines what is called ‘the kitchen.’ In tennis, you can stand inches away from the net and take any ball out of the air, but in pickleball, you have to let the ball bounce there before you can step into that area. So, it equalizes the play between those of different levels. I play with my 14 year old, and I play with guys who are 80.”

Another aspect of the game that keeps it enjoyable, regardless of whether one wins or loses, is the speed at which matches move. Games are played to 11 points, or even 7 if enough people are waiting to play, and the winning team generally splits up after each match. To paraphrase a popular saying in New England, the Pacific Northwest, and likely many other parts of the country: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes.” If players are nonplussed about their performance in one matchup, the chance to improve is imminent.

“You kind of forget of how many games you’ve won or lost, and you just end up having a really good time,” Johnson says.

For those looking to get in on the action, open play happens every weekday from noon to 3 p.m., and Mondays are always devoted to beginners clinics. There are also weekend times 5:30-9 a.m. Saturday, and 6-9 p.m. Sunday.