SFSPICKLEBALL - Key Persons
I played Pickleball for the first time in 2017 in my hometown in Tennessee. Once I retired in 2018, I heard that the local YMCA played indoors in 2 of their gyms. So I showed up as a newbie and learned more about the game. I began to play more and more, both at the YMCA and at Kenmore Park. I took a couple of clinics from some of our local 5.0 players. And I took a couple with Pickleball Pros, Dave "the Badger" Weinbach and Catherine Parenteau. I try to learn from the best and apply new skills to my game. I have run 4 local Pickleball tournament at the Massad YMCA - the first with just 36 players, building up to the last one with over 120 participants. I love playing the game and am constantly looking for more places to play, especially indoors when the weather is not conducive to outdoor play.
I took a beginner pickleball class from Stafford County's Parks & Rec in the spring of 2016 and have been addicted to the sport ever since. I played in a local ladder that year and continued for another 4 years; I ran the ladder my last 3 years. I've taken a number of multi-day clinics from pickleball pros over the years; Simone Jardim and Ben Johnson in Woodbridge, Sarah Ansboury in Hilton Head, and Tyson McGuffin in Atlanta. I've also taken a few 2-hour clinics locally with Irina Tereschenko and Ben Johns in Kilmarnock, and Mark Renneson in Fredericksburg. I loved meeting the pros and coming away with lots of info to apply to my game. I have played in lots of local tournaments and have traveled to tournaments that include PPAs, Regionals, the US Open, and Nationals. I love the tough competition big tournaments offer and love seeing the pros play up close. I hope my love of pickleball spreads to others in the Fredericksburg area.
I came to Kenmore to try out Pickleball during the Covid lockdowns in March 2021. I live near Kenmore and had been driving by admiring the number of players for over two years before I finally worked up the nerve to give it a try. I come from a tennis background so it was easy for me to fall in love with Pickleball. I play at least 4 days a week and am known around the courts for several things: (1) the number of paddles I use; (2) the fact that I switch paddles in the middle of a game (it's always the paddle's fault, right?); (3) the backpack I carry on to the courts like a turtle shell; (4) the Motown music I play on my speaker; (5) and finally, the collapsible wagon I use to carry all of the above. There are lots of characters at Kenmore, and I encourage you to come out and laugh and enjoy open play with us at Kenmore, seven days a week!
My family and I have been Stafford County residents since 2001. I played tennis as a youth through my high school years but transitioned to racquetball upon arriving in Utah in December 1976, because the tennis courts were covered with snow. I played racquetball on and off over the years but stopped playing in 2003. Upon reaching age 65, I retired from active employment in June 2021, and started looking for sports activities I could share with Lynn, my wife. In late 2021, I was watching YouTube, and suddenly appeared in my feed a video about a Pro Pickleball tournament. Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered something about Pickleball, but it was senior citizens that can't play more active racquet sports like tennis or racquetball, right? Was I ever wrong! I watched the video, which highlighted a 14-year-old female Pro Pickleball player named Anna Leigh Waters, who definitely was not a senior citizen and is the acknowledged top female Pickleball player in the world. Intrigued about this thing called Pickleball, I convinced my wife to give it a try. We signed up for Pickleball lessons through Stafford County Parks and Recs, and like many in our area, were introduced to the sport by Lorraine Walton, Pickleball Instructor Extraordinaire( thank you, Lorraine!). I was hooked. I play regularly in rec play on various courts in Stafford and Fredericksburg, and recently ventured into tournament play (a very humbling experience so far).
As I sought out places to play, I quickly realized there are not enough area courts to meet the needs of Pickleballers when they want to play, where they want to play, and who they want to play with. I joined the SFS PC to support the club's goals of growing the sport in our area and to advocate for additional Pickleball courts and programs for players of all ages and abilities. As the club's Vice President for External Relations, I look forward to hearing from you, and then helping the SFS PC articulate and advocate on your behalf to elected, government, and citizen leaders in our area. You can reach me at (703) 376-4150 or via 8723@duck.com.
I was introduced to pickleball in late 2019, shortly before I retired. It was a lot of fun so I took an introductory class with Lorraine Walton and began playing regularly. Since then, I have become mildly addicted, playing regularly at several places around the area, including Kenmore, the YMCA, UMW, and some neighborhood community courts. Pickleball also has been the source of numerous new friendships for me. Through the wonderful camaraderie of open play, I have met and played with nearly 200 different people who I would not have met otherwise. After seeing the effort that a few key people have made to promote pickleball and organize events in the area, I decided that I wanted to help in that effort. Hopefully we can continue to grow and put on even more fun events.