David Zapatka The No. 1 priority is to always remember you are on the same team. Do everything possible to help your partner, support your partner, and encourage your partner. Words and body language are powerful. They both have meaning and influence on you and your partner. Your energy is real. Partner cannot only hear…
Tag: pickleball
September 2024, Card Games & Sports
Pickleball and the Olympics: What’s the Future?
Are you wondering about the future of pickleball as a summer Olympic event? As of now, pickleball is not an official Olympic sport. However, the sport has been growing rapidly in popularity, and there are efforts to promote its inclusion in the Olympics in the future. For a sport to be included in the Olympic…
Card Games & Sports, August 2024
Relishing Pickleball: The 4th Shot, Part 2
David Zapatka Consider these targets when hitting the 4th shot. 1. Hit to the opponent who is furthest back in the court. This will keep your opponents on defense. 2. Hit to the middle. The middle often causes confusion between the opponents. 3. Hit to your opponents’ feet. This is always an excellent target. It…
July 2024, Front Page
SunBird Summer Pickleball
SunBird summer pickleball is in full swing! Join us for our summer hours every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7 a.m. Pickleball is a fun and energetic way to socialize and make new friends, so come on out! On a more serious note, there have been instances where emergency medical assistance was needed on the…
Card Games & Sports, June 2024
SunBird Pickleball
We are thrilled to welcome Matt Clark as the newest member of our Pickleball Club! Matt’s enthusiasm for the game and eagerness to join our community are fantastic additions to our vibrant club. In other news, we recently took a moment to celebrate one of our longstanding members, Lisa Dingeldein. Lisa has been a pillar…
April 2024, Card Games & Sports
SunBird Pickleball Club Charity Tournament
The SunBird Pickleball Club hosted the Seventh Annual Pickle4Purple Charity Pickleball tournament to raise money to research cures for Alzheimer’s/dementia, as well as provide funding to help caregivers. Funds raised go to the Alzheimer’s Association. We could not have done this without the generosity of our community. Many people donated valuable time and money for…
April 2024, Card Games & Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Blocking Shots
David Zapatka Would you like to neutralize the hard shots being hit in your direction? Consider a blocking strategy. Blocking a shot properly requires technique, positioning, timing and strategy. Follow this advice to improve your blocking skills: * Stand with your knees bent and feet shoulder-width apart. The lower you can get down, the better.…
March 2024, Front Page
Girls Night Out
Lisa Dingeldein The Pickleball Club had a great turnout at our Girls Night Out event on Jan. 26. New players worked on their skills, and we all played some games. Line dancing kept us moving. We finished the night with food and fellowship, along with a gorgeous sunset. Thanks to all the players, volunteers, raffle…
February 2024, Card Games & Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Slicing the Ball
David Zapatka Slicing serve returns and dinks are favorite shots of mine. A slice puts backspin on the ball. The slice makes the ball travel from 6 o’clock to 12 o’clock back toward the player who contacted the ball. These shots can be hit with a forehand or a backhand. A slice is effective for these reasons.…
January 2024, Card Games & Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Pickleball Comes to U.S. Universities
David Zapatka Pickleball continues to grow in popularity around the country. It’s now making its way into U.S. universities. The leading example of this is my friend, Jarrod Smith, coach of Drury University’s men’s and women’s tennis teams, and in 2024, coach of Drury’s co-ed pickleball team in Springfield, Mo. In August, Drury announced the…