Pickleball and Sobriety

A Healthier Addiction, PB Comedy, Recipes & More

Author

FIT PICKLER
January 18, 2024

Health, Fitness, News & Fun for Picklers of All Ages

What's Cooking in the Kitchen This Week:

  • Fitness Expert Glen Dawson: Overcoming KNEE Pain

  • Pickleball and Sobriety

  • A New Comedy Series Debuts on YouTube

  • Recipes: What to Eat Before, During & After Pickleball

  • Tennis Stars In Pickleball - 2024 Will Tell The Tale

  • Quieter Paddles Seem To Be Working

  • Rally Rundown: Local Highlights

  • Coach Mary: 4 Drills to Improve Your Game

 đźŹ‹ď¸Ź STAYING FIT with GLEN

OVERCOMING KNEE PAIN

⚕️ HEALTH

PICKLEBALL and SOBRIETY

A more healthy obsession. The sport we all love has meant different things to different players over the years: Fun, friendly competition and a sense of community are usually listed as top benefits. But it seems, pickleball has also become a sanctuary for healing and self-discovery.

It goes beyond a mere game; it has become a lifeline for individuals striving to leave behind the shackles of addiction. In the words of one enthusiast, "Pickleball is more than a sport. It's a community. The support and connections I've found through Pickleball have been pivotal in my recovery."

Lisa Turner, a therapist with years of experience in addiction recovery, emphasizes the importance of social connections in the healing process. "Pickleball encourages social interaction and teamwork," she explains. "These aspects are invaluable for individuals in recovery, as they help rebuild damaged relationships and provide a support network that plays a critical role in maintaining sobriety."
Read more here…

🤩 ENTERTAINMENT

“Pick City: A New Comedy Series”
Debuts on YouTube

Move over Parks and Recreation! A new comedy series, titled Pick City, a Pickleball Comedy, is now available on Youtube.

Filmed in Charlevoix, MI, the series is the brainchild of actor Phillip Wampler who resides in Charlevoix. The cast consists of volunteers described on the youtube channel as “real pickleball players and friends of Phillip.”

Wampler came up with the idea during the SAG-AFTRA strike. The show’s description states, “What transpires is a light-hearted tale of family and friendship, both new and old, as well as the ever present issues of competition and rivalry.”

Check out the new series here…

👩‍🍳 RECIPES

What To Eat Before, During and
After Pickleball

Eggs, fruit, smoothies. This article by sports nutritionist, Dana Angelo White, M.S., R.D., A.T.C., for the Food Network, spells out some healthy and tasty recipes to get you started, keep you going, and help you recover.

Check out here recipes here…

🗞️IN THE NEWS

The Future of Tennis Starts In Pickleball: 2024 Will Tell Te Tale

2023 was filled with stories about current or past tennis champions dipping their toes in the pickleball world. Last Spring, Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick faced John McEnroe and Michael Chang in the Pickleball Slam competing for a $1 Million purse. (Agassi/Roddick won).

But by all indications, it appears 2024 will be the year that really determines whether current tennis players move into the sport and recently retired champions begin competing in earnest. Motivated by real prize money, bigger venues and growing media attention, ex-tennis stars are entering pickleball tournaments in higher numbers than ever before.

Genie Bouchard, the 29 year old tennis player from Montreal is the first to try to play both sports simultaneously. While her first outing was a struggle, she is committed to trying to make it work. She said, “I’m going to play a bunch of events this year and the competitive person in me wants to do the best I can…. I expect to be more competitive in the next tournament, but gimme a full year.”

Quieter Paddles Seem to Be Working

Owl, who manufactured the first pickleball paddle approved in the “Quiet Category” for use by USA Pickleball, partnered with the City of Ojai, California for a one month trial to see if indeed the noise would be reduced.

Greg Doss, the Ojai Valley Athletic Club Pickleball Director was able to obtain enough paddles for use on four courts by 16 players. The idea was to see if indeed they could reduce the noise level by 50% with the use of the new paddles.

Indeed, players noticed a change, not necessarily in the decibel level, but rather in the “tone” – described as more of a “thud” than a “pop” or a “thwack.” While the players were initially skeptical, they reported to Doss that they did not feel their game had been negatively affected.

🧭 COMMUNITY NEWS

RALLY RUNDOWN:
LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS

HOLDING COURT with
COACH MARY

  đź’Ş 4 DRILLS TO IMPROVE YOUR GAME

I love the Pickleball Journey boys!
Watch this “4 Drills to Improve your Pickleball game” Video

Dinks: Partner one stays on one side. Partner two must move from one side of the court to the other, so down the line, then cross court, return to Partner one. Switch positions after you feel comfortable with your execution. Watch the video several times.

 Drives: Partner one is at the NVZ, feeding and resetting to Partner two. Partner two is working on topspin drives off both the forehand and backhand sides. Switch after you have executed properly. Watch the video again.

Drops: One partner back, one up at the NVZ. Partner at the NVZ feeds a ball in front of the partner who is back at the baseline. The partner at the baseline is executing 3rd ball drops into the kitchen of his opponent. Long dink drops in front of his partner. The partner at the NVZ is returning the ball back to the player at the baseline. Keep it going!

Volleys: Make eye contact. Keep speeding up. Targets: shoulder, other shoulder, right hip, left hip. Both players are at the NVZ.

Learning as an athlete, a coach, a parent, and a human being

As a teacher/coach, I read a ton of books on athletics and coaching. John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is a great model for success. Diana Nyad’s book on her phenomenal swim from Cuba to Florida in her sixty’s is another one.

One of my gym buddies who helped me when I broke my leg, recently gave me “Leading with the Heart” Coach K’s successful strategies for basketball, business, and life. Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University is one of the most successful coaches in college basketball history.

Here is a gem from Coach K’s book:

“You hear, you forget. You see, you remember. You do, you understand.”

Coaches and teachers cannot just lecture and talk during your instruction. You may hear them, but you might forget. If your coach demonstrates, you might see the skill performed, and you might remember, but you may not know if your body is ready to execute the skill.

“If you do, you understand!” Your body will achieve muscle memory, and you will be able to execute the skill repeatedly.

I believe in less talking and demos, and more repetition for the student. That is why I have so many ball carts and ball machines! The more repetitions, the better your body will remember the skill and be able to replicate it repeatedly in the future.

Here is the key after drilling. You must attempt the skill during a game situation. If you drill on a machine or a feed from a coach, it is controlled. To accomplish perfecting the skill in competition, you must attempt it in a game situation! This is how you gain confidence, and you will be comfortable attempting the skill in games.

I encourage my students to drill, drill, drill, either with 2, 3 or 4 players. Execute the skill in every situation. Paddle up and get out there to drill!

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