First published in the Aug. 11 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
The Olympic motto is “faster, higher, stronger, together.” As you age, what if you can no longer do “faster, higher, stronger”?
You can take up golf if you have many hours to spend and like to walk. Some of us, like myself, have sciatica and back pain which doesn’t allow me to do this. You can play tennis, but a rotator cuff injury keeps my serve limited to dink serves. Pickleball is a solution. Or as daughter calls it “old man tennis.” It combines the skills of racket sports and table tennis. Pickleball allows one to play with limited skills, mobility and endurance. Shoulder injuries are not a problem; the serve is done underhanded. During a typical 15-minute doubles game, the court space a player needs to cover is 10 by 15 feet; the size of an average bathroom. Most beginners can become competent in a few sessions. It is also a sport that seniors can play against younger adults “together.” As a resident of La Cañada Flintridge for the past 20 years and a senior, we need pickleball to stay physically active.
There are many venues devoted to tennis, basketball, golf and other sports in La Cañada. The limited offerings for pickleball are sadly inadequate. We need the proposed dedicated courts at the Mayor’s Discovery park. So if you envision yourself in a Conner vs. McEnroe match —“OK Boomer” Djokovic v. Nadel. OK, we need these courts!
Tom Chung
La Cañada Flintridge
