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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | OCTOBER 2024 | 55 POP Tennis POP Tennis, formerly known as Paddle Tennis, is a fun, fast sport that can be enjoyed by people at all fitness levels. Though played on a smaller court with a different paddle and 20 percent deflated tennis balls, POP Tennis is otherwise scored and regulated like traditional tennis. POP Tennis is played on the courts to the left of the Main Clubhouse on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 to 10 am (spring/summer hours). Additionally, there is a group that plays Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 3 pm and Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings from 6 to 8 pm. People are free to come and go as their schedules permit. All are welcome and there are always friendly folks to teach beginners the game! Paddles and balls are provided too. For more information or to be on a decision-making committee, please feel free to contact Carl Miller at (951) 512-3131. **All regular POP players are asked to get their $10 membership fee to Jeanne McGuire. The dues are used to plan parties, tournaments and buy balls and paddles. Hope you'll POP by! Pickleball is well into its seventh decade as a truly American sport. It has known many outstanding players — young/old, female/ male, and, increasingly, domestic, and international. Yet, in our long history only two have lent their names to a shot. A shot so clever, so famous (or infamous) that the originator has had his name attached. Erne Perry became so proficient with his front- corner surprise that tournaments all over the map echo with the cry "Erne!" when an agile player makes that attempt. If it's a mystery, Google it. In a remarkable coincidence, Erne, now in his 50s, has long lived near the much younger Timothy Nelson. Erne has been a mentor and friend. Timothy became a pickleball prodigy when Erne took him under his wing. The elder was and is quiet and unassuming, preferring to stay out of the spotlight. Not so with Tim. Brash, colorful and in-your-face from his early days on the court, the two couldn't have been more dissimilar. How curious that the "Nasty Nelson" was spawned by someone so unlike his friend, a man and player Tim looked up to. While the "Erne" is pickleball's coolest shot, the Nasty Nelson is its vilest. A sneak attack. A chance to exploit an innocent victim. An opportunistic taking advantage of the rules. The very opposite of what the game is supposed to be about: reducing aggression and encouraging camaraderie. It is the adolescent-hormones-on- steroids of pickleball. For the record, we in Sun Lakes would never conceive of trying a Nasty Nelson. It's just … nasty. So, what did young Timothy contrive? Using his hard serve to aim directly at the hapless opponent opposite him: the guy just up at the kitchen line minding his own business awaiting the serve to his partner. The very definition of a bystander. Nelson got the devious idea that, since the rules prohibit any player from touching (being touched by?) a ball in play,why not? Maybe instead of actually engaging the player who can respond, I'll just wing the wingman. Fortunately, Mr. Nelson has matured. He even regrets his youthful exuberance. But his churlish legacy remains. Please someone, come up with a uniquely effective shot and get yourself associated with it. Nothing named "nasty" belongs on our dear courts. We won't have the national championships nearby this year. After several years at Indian Wells, they have moved to Arizona. So we can't see pros like Perry and Nelson, but, more and more, they are on TV. If you want to learn how we play the game in Sun Lakes, give club VP Judy Luna a call for info at (949) 929-2390. See you on the courts! Pickleball Club

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