Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1545006
| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | JUNE 2026 | 63 Here's a suggestion: ask your grandkids if they're playing pickleball in school. It seems forever that our beloved sport has been saddled with the somewhat patronizing label "a senior citizen game." Well, of course we at Sun Lakes wear that proudly. We put the "active" in our HOA's sales pitch: "a gated, active adult (55+) community…" But one of the wonderful developments in recent years is the penetration pickleball is making among all age levels. We are seeing a huge expansion of pickle's footprint in all grades from elementary to university. The latest issue of Pickleball Magazine highlights why: Communication! Collaboration! Leadership! These are the skills phys. ed. coordinators value and find that pickle builds in their students. Some cite the aspect of the sport we at the SLCC Pavilion so much enjoy. The game allows kids of varying abilities to play together, learn and grow in competition they may otherwise be excluded from in the harrowing world of adolescence. Your grandchild may not win a varsity letter but can find the fun and satisfaction that pickleball specializes in. And, that big man on campus won't be catching passes in his golden years but pickleball is truly a lifetime endeavor. Continuing on the theme of our society's youth movement, the same magazine's cover story features World #1, teenager Anna Leigh Waters' ascension to the ultimate prize of a Nike contract. The reporter trumpets this as "a landmark deal that signaled pickleball had reached a new level of cultural legitimacy." Her business acumen is exceeded only by her on-court prowess. Anna Leigh is a global phenom who was proclaimed on a Times Square billboard as "The Most Dominant Athlete in the World." As her profile rises, so does our sport's. In other news, a bizarre headline in the LA Times read: "How a Pickleball Injury Highlights Fraud in California's Hospice Industry." Not to worry dear picklers, our sport isn't implicated. A misfortunate Seattle player sought treatment for a shoulder strain only to be told she was at death's door. Seems some very busy scammers comb medical records for enough details to file phony claims for hospice care, a rampant scandal that has come to light in part through this lady's mishap. Talk about adding insult to injury… Happily, our fellow enthusiast got her identity back, her joint repaired and is back in action. Wondering what all the buzz is about? Our venerable ambassador, Royce Newman, can enlighten you. Give him a call at (951) 809- 2303. See you on the courts! Pickleball Club Here's a suggestion: ask your grandkids if they're playing pickleball in school. It seems forever that our beloved sport has been saddled legitimacy." Her business acumen is exceeded only by her on-court prowess. Anna Leigh is a global phenom