Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1212399
54 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MARCH 2020 | Our club's table at this year's Activities Day attracted many residents. We had dozens sign up to get an introduction to the game and many others expressed interest. We arrange clinics for beginners and loan paddles so no one need be out of pocket until she or he decides if the game is right for them. It was gratifying to hear so many just stop by to say they are hearing more and more about pickleball. We are excited to be part of the 2020 Charity Week. The club will host a tournament on Fri., June 5 which will be open to all Sun Lakers and surrounding communities. Our inaugural effort promises to be a fun way to bolster the receipts for this annual extravaganza. We will be publicizing the event widely and hope many will come out to play or watch and mingle. There will be food. This will be a chance for those unfamiliar with the sport to see it close up as we will be using the South Clubhouse tennis courts (thanks Tennis Club). There are bleachers and room to roam about and see different levels of play. Even if you aren't a skilled player, consider signing up to participate as all the proceeds will go to worthy organizations in the Pass Area. This is a true highlight of SLCC's year. A sad milestone was reached for our beloved sport this winter when the last of the "founding fathers" of pickleball passed away at 93. Barney McCallum was able to live long enough to see the game he and two friends invented in a backyard on Bainbridge Island, Washington back in 1965 sweep the globe. Your scribe was playing recently at nearby courts and had a conversation with a woman who now lives on Bainbridge and returns to her old home in the Inland Empire to visit and play pickle. She related how she had the chance to spend time with Barney, wheelchair bound but still loving to hang out with players. Clearly, his and his friends' legacy is far more than a court sport. It is a legacy of love, as the friendships forged on those courts unite so many of us in lasting ties. Our club president Tony Browne has a bit of history with the sport as well and he brought a couple of his family's original wood paddles to display at Activities Day. They were part of the Browne family arsenal of equipment and their contrast with modern composite graphite paddles is a vivid picture of how pickleball has grown. We play Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 8 am. See you on the courts! Pickleball Club