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58 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | JULY 2020 | June arrived with the club playing enthusiastically on the new north side courts. We are enjoying the improved room-to-grow that the four courts affords us. An unexpected plus has been the enhancement of what has always been a hallmark of pickleball: sociability. In a recent article in our sport's national magazine, Drew Wathey writes at length about the health benefits of pickleball. More on that in a moment. But this quote caught your scribe's eye: "It is the socialization of the sport that quickly draws people in and gets them hooked. While pickleball does provide a competitive outlet for those seeking it, it is the social aspect that offers a somewhat addictive quality to the sport." True words that have been borne out on the new court arrangement. Unlike the "cages" of our previous set-up, where players were only really interacting with those on their court, the new lay-out put all players in easy range of banter and encouragement. That makes life more challenging during our mask-and-distancing regimen but this too shall pass. Having the courts together causes more interruptions with balls rolling away but most seem to agree that easier camaraderie is a perk that outweighs the occasional nuisance of "Ball on Court!" Back to the healthy nature of our game, Wathey's article extolled the benefits: improved balance, coordination, agility, flexibility and strength to name a few. Also, he cites a doctor who says "Pickleball increases your heart rate while playing, boosts your metabolism, increases your blood supply by developing capillaries within your muscles, and trains your anaerobic and aerobic conditioning." Besides the technical jargon, another physician observes "Resistance to regular exercise is a huge issue for most adults… For me, and I think for many others, one of the biggest draws to pickleball is that it IS addictive (something you want to continue experiencing) and doesn't feel like exercise." Another paean to pickle appeared in the May 30 edition of the New York Times, even going so far as to suggest pickleball is an ideal pandemic activity. They quote sports officials praising the game as great for multi-generational families and close groups to enjoy for its activity and health benefits. Ellen DeGeneres commented to the reporter that she was having trouble finding time to walk as she has become such an avid pickler. So, don't wait too long; summer will be gone before we know it. See you on the courts! Pickleball Club Just in case: Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, and time. Sun Lakers at Canyon Lanes We are finally getting back to bowling. Everyone is feeling good about being back at the lanes. With the guidelines are that we can only have 50 percent capacity because of social distancing; that gives us only 12 teams max. We had 12 at the beginning but now are down to 11 teams. Things are a lot different due to the new rules. We can only bowl on one alley; we must wear masks when leaving our lane; we may not bring in outside drinks or food; and the worst, there's no free coffee. This league will end on Aug. 10 with our sweeps. At this time we have no results for high scores as we have only bowled for a week. Even though this is a very short league I hope everyone enjoys their new freedom at the lanes. Be safe, wash your hands often, and practice social distancing. We are hoping that when the winter league starts we can be back to 24 teams. Please enjoy your bowling and have fun. Sometimes it is not the game that makes you emotional — it's that damn 10 pin!