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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | APRIL 2023 | 57 One American novel was outsold only by the Bible during the entire 19th century: Uncle Tom's Cabin. It laid the groundwork for the long fight against slavery. Surely some Sun Lakers today remember one thing about a beloved character from that book: Topsy grow'd. The young girl became a synonym for abundant, unstoppable growth. Pickleball is to sports what Topsy was for Harriet Beecher Stowe. When the game stops growing, your scribe will stop bragging about that it is, by far, the fastest expanding sport in the nation. According to Sportico, which bills itself as "the business of sports," we have seen a curious contradiction post-Covid: there has been a general decline in team sports, yet Americans are more active than ever. In analyzing this conundrum, their website portrays a graph charting growth over the last four years by everything from surfing to snowshoeing. Most data points are clustered in the middle, tilting toward the left (declining growth). The upper right quadrant contains trail running, skateboarding, and soccer. At a glance, pickleball isn't even there. Not, that is, until you zoom out and see it perched way up and way out to the plus side. All by itself. No other activity is close. Sportico lumps our game in a category of "Individual/Racquet Sport." Soccer is the only team sport on the growth side of the ledger. So, folks, it continues. Pickleball is a winner. And small wonder due to its appeal to all generations and skill-levels. Our club is thriving and our members had to be patient as we awaited the completion of the new venue on the north side. Who would have expected drought-ridden SoCal to have been such a wet and wild weather cauldron since Christmas? We are indebted to the POP Tennis group for accommodating us on their courts as we waited out wind, rain, snow, and sleet. Just when we expected to be delayed until spring, the contractors came through. We invite all to visit our lovely new digs by the North Pro Shop. There is another fun website devoted to all things pickle: Bread and Butter Pickleball Co. They offer a wide-range of paddles, balls and attire along with a humorous origin-story. They are part of the sponsorship of The Dink, an entertaining site that carried the Sportico story quoted above. Just two of a legion of organizations and online sites that add to our knowledge and resources. Look them up. If you need directions, call Judy Luna at (949) 929-2390. See you on the courts! Pickleball Club Let us help you look & feel your best you 951-845-4237 851 6th St., Ste. C, Beaumont • www.huntresssalon.com Hair Cuts & Design • Hair Coloring • Perms • Weaves Brazilian Blowouts • Extensions • Manicures & Spa Pedicures Beauty Makeup • Permanent Cosmetic • Organic Facials Medical Massage Therapy