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54 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | JANUARY 2023 | Table Tennis/Ping Pong Hi! I'm Rick Romeo and I was born and raised in Glendale, CA. I attended the University of La Verne and lived in La Verne and Upland for 40 years where I was an insurance agent. I love golf and was attracted to Sun Lakes by our two beautiful courses. Upon arriving in April, I soon found out there are many other activities to enjoy. In my youth, I loved to play ping pong so when I saw the group in Lifestyles I decided to give it a try. I'm very happy I did. I've met extremely friendly people and have had a lot of fun. Laughter and playful banter can be heard at every session. Gary, the coordinator, is helpful and welcoming. If you have any interest in this group, give it a try. Our group is diverse and inclusive, from ages 55 to over 90 years old, from beginners to some highly-ranked individuals quick to give out tips and rules of the game. Come on over and start having some fun; make some friends while getting immediate and long-term health benefits! For more information or to find out our schedule, contact our coordinator Gary at (805) 722- 7427 or John Williams at (951) 489-9737. We are happy to answer questions and look forward to having you join us. ~ Gary Lile Last month about a dozen of our intrepid members ventured over to Four Seasons on a windy Saturday to participate in a fun tournament hosted by our neighbors. The event offered men's and women's doubles matches in two age categories, 55-64 and 65+. Three of our teams brought home medals: Hank Huisman and Pat Carter took gold, Terre Hodgson and Janet Price earned a silver while Bill Marshall and Tony Browne took a bronze. We congratulate them and all who gave it a try. The tourney was well-planned and went off without a hitch, save for the challenges of some stiff breezes. With our court venue nearing completion, we look forward to being able to hold competitions like this one in the coming year. With January upon us, club play will normally be at 8:00 a.m. every day but Sunday with afternoon play scheduled as usual. We are seeing considerable growth in membership and club play is filling the courts on many days. Our sport was ill-served by Stephen Colbert's inane "pickleball special" primetime network show prior to Thanksgiving. What might have been a chance for a national audience to learn what makes the game so popular instead played mostly as farce. The celebrity (?) participants barely understood the basics and Colbert was of no help in bringing any intelligent introduction. So, if this bomb didn't completely scare off future showcases of pickleball, we'll probably wait awhile for another opportunity. So much for the adage that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Fortunately the Sun Lakes pickleball community is unphased by such folderol. We are entering a new year with increased membership, a beautiful court complex and the blessings of being able to enjoy our sport with some of the most warm and engaging folks imaginable. And we do this in a resort atmosphere that offers a remarkable combination of natural beauty and inspired facilities. What's not to like? So, if you haven't gotten acquainted with pickleball, give our club vice-president, Judy Luna, a call at (949) 929-2390. Judy will help steer you to the best ways to get plugged in. She is great about helping prospective players get on a smooth learning curve. Beginners need not have a paddle, we can loan you one while you decide if the game is for you. We do advise you to wear court-type shoes for safety. See you on the courts! Pickleball Club Night Beer Pong The Night Beer Pong group is expanding our play hours as we enjoy shorter days this winter. We play at The Summit Mondays, Wednesdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Thursdays, and Fridays from 5 pm to 2 am, or until the last person goes home. For those of you who haven't played beer pong, just think, "Hey! Do I like fun? Also do I like beer?" then come on down and join us. We are also serving pretzels and disinfect our ping pong balls once in a while. ~ Joe Blow, joeblow@yahoo,com (909) BEER-ME