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The myth of the Golden State is that no one is from here. Whether it's Raymond Chandler's derelicts and vagabonds, or the Dust Bowl immigrants; California, so it seems, has always attracted dreamers and rovers who wind up on the Pacific shores and run out of roads. Perhaps it's a stretch, but one could argue that pickleball has a lot in common with our great state. No one began their athletic/ recreation pursuits playing this funny game with the funnier name. For most of us, pickleball has appeared late in life, and then, like California, breathed new life. Such is the case for one of the game's most active and avid ambassadors. Andrea Mayorga played many sports during her thirty-plus-year career as a nurse: field hockey, tennis, badminton, volleyball, softball and distance swimming. But it was her discovery of pickleball driving by a Sun City in northern California that captured her. It took only one practice session on those courts to convince her "I've found my sport!" Andrea nudged her hubby away from racquetball and they have been a great team for the sport ever since. They coach over a hundred players, have persuaded the community to create six courts on a former basketball area and are now working toward a 12-court indoor program at a nearby gym. This is just one of many accounts of folks who have been devotees of diverse activities but find pickleball to be a most satisfying game as they enter into their mature years. But the sport is certainly not just for seniors. Southern Californians over in Canyon Country are innovating a terrific expansion of the game. Andrew Skinner has found a way to meld pickleball with his passion for working to improve the lives of children, adults and vets living with spinal cord injuries. His Triumph Foundation is finding a way to make pickle a wheelchair sport. There are obvious obstacles but Andrew is dedicated to overcoming them. After taping off some tennis courts, the Triumph staff made a couple of modifications to the usual rules. For example, they realized the players sometimes need two bounces to return a shot. Volunteers help retrieve loose balls. With a few tweaks, young and old are wheeling into pickleball with great results. As fall is upon us, consider coming out to try this game. The regular club hours are Monday/Wednesday/Saturday 8-10 am. For other play times, call Nick Caputo at 255-7841. See you on the courts! | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | NOVEMBER 2018 | 57 Pickleball Club