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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MARCH 2026 | 57 This month we celebrate our club founders. All of us who play every week on the beautiful eight-court Sun Lakes Pickleball Pavilion owe a huge debt to Nancy and Les Ebner, Diana and Dan Cosner, Jackie and Royce Newman and Steve Thornberry. These seven were among a small group of paddleball players who discovered a new sport in 2011. They led the way in persuading the Board to re-stripe the three courts by the Ballroom and accomplished the diplomacy needed to build a sharing scheme. We also salute those paddlers who graciously accepted the new arrangement. It was years before the Pavilion came to be. Thank you to Jeanne McGuire and Margie Parmelee who were part of the original "Paddle Tennis and Pickleball Club." We couldn't have done this without you. Our club membership has mushroomed since the early days. It couldn't function without the expansion. Many mornings see all eight courts humming. So, thank you to our own "magnificent seven," and to the Master Board for recognizing pickleball's potential. The complex will serve new residents for years to come. Pickleball Club Three months into the new year the Sun Lakes Tennis Club is moving into an active month of March starting with two Mixed Doubles Mixers, Sat., March 7 at 8 am, and Fri., March 13 at 5 pm. The March 7 date is our customary first Saturday of each month. The March 13 date is the first of three Friday Night Lights scheduled for March, April 10, and May 8. We provide leadership and tennis balls. All skill levels are invited to participate. Our first quarterly meeting is Sun., March 15 starting at 5 pm. Following the meeting we will share in a potluck/BYOB. 2026 Directories will be available to those who have not previously received their copy. Thank you to Kim Jensen, Michele Walter, and Peggy Huetten for their work on this publication. On any given morning, our six tennis courts are used by players who get together to play singles and doubles on a regular basis. There are, for example, several women's doubles groups. Several players drop-in at 8 am on Tuesday mornings for mixed doubles. And, a group of men and women show up Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, usually at 8 am. This group includes players from outside Sun Lakes through friendships within our club. The players pictured below played on Jan. 6. Over the course of two hours, the rotation of players allowed for a variety of teams and outcomes. It was one of our very best days and a wonderful way to begin the new year. Yes, there is a time and place for everyone on our tennis courts and in our Tennis Club. Tennis Bob Walter, Carl Miller, Cheryl Vanderpool, and Don Zelmer Robert and Tracy Mahan, Christy Anne Ritchey, and Alan Lott Ken Brown, Mark Vanderpool, Kim Jensen, and Tony Chua L-R: Nancy Ebner, Steve ornberry, Royce Newman, Jackie Newman, Les Ebner, Diana Cosner and Dan Cosner

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