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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | JUNE 2025 | 51 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 usually on Thursday mornings from 8 to 10 am (fall/winter hours). Additionally, there is a group that plays Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday afternoons from 3 to 5 pm. People are free to come and go as their schedules permit. Hours are subject to change, so it is best to check the bulletin board located at the courts for current play times. 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 express a desire to be on a decision-making committee, contact Carl Miller at (951) 512-3131 Hope you'll POP in! Not so long ago when a pickler went shopping for shoes, clerks would stare blankly. There was no such thing on the shelves as "pickleball shoes." We might be directed to the tennis footwear aisle or the more progressive merchants might stock "court" shoes, If we needed gloves, we looked in the racquetball rack. Sure, there were some entrepreneurial types making shirts with cutsie pickle-oriented logos and cartoons, but wardrobe departments knew not from pickleball. How times have changed. We went surfing down Amazon's "pickleball shoes men" pages (yes, the category exists.) We found Wilson, Lefus, FitVille, ASICS, Adidas, K-Swiss, Avia, Sketchers, Puma, New Balance, Fila, and Diadem Sports. Curious that some big names were missing, a quick check shows that yes, indeed, Nike makes them. The only one of the largest makers of sports equipment that doesn't seem to advertise a shoe explicitly labeled "pickleball" is Under Armour and they offer models if you ask them. Our sport is gradually making the big time. Wayne Dollard publishes the USAPA's magazine Pickleball. The April issue highlights the exponential growth of the game. "Fifty million people play pickleball in the U.S. — an astonishing 19 percent of the adult population," he reports. Dollard goes on to emphasize the financial tidal wave he is seeing. The featured article was "Moneyball," asserting that in the next handful of years the global economic weight of our humble pastime will reach $8 billion. The "Moneyball" author, Alex E. Weaver, says there are 68,458 courts in the country, of which a remarkable 18,455 were added just in 2024. That seems astounding, yet he reports we are a full 25,000 short of the capacity needed to meet today's demand nationally. Thankfully, we at Sun Lakes still have room most days to accommodate our residents and guests. Another recent indicator of pickle's popularity came in an ABC News report titled, "How Pickleball Took MLB by Storm." The feature told of big league team trainers seeing the value in the game for its emphasis on eye-hand coordination and quickness. It caught on first among coaches to maintain their fitness post-playing. Now, the network says, players have caught pickle fever. They compete furiously, especially on the road, with player rankings and a lot of side bets. So, what's stopping you from trying it out? Give our veteran club ambassador Royce Newman a call at (951) 809-2303. He can suggest the best ways to get acquainted. See you on the courts! Pickleball Club Not so long ago when a pickler went shopping for shoes, clerks would stare blankly. There was no such thing on the shelves as "pickleball shoes." We might be directed to the tennis footwear aisle or the more progressive merchants might stock but wardrobe departments knew not "How Pickleball Took MLB by Storm." The feature told of big league team trainers seeing the value in the game for its emphasis on eye-hand coordination and quickness. It caught on first among coaches to maintain their fitness Pickleball Club

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