Hey all, this is Joe Zaleski of Saint George, Utah. I have a wife and a three year old son. I work as a civil engineer, try to enjoy time with the family and seek positive connection with friends when not pickleballing.
My favorite part about pickleball is a good olā fashioned shootout up at the net to see who has the fastest hands followed closely by a nice low ATP winner that canāt be touched (preferably struck with my paddle). I really donāt like missing overhead shots in pickleball. As I have come over from tennis, I expect those shots to be gimmies. When I miss them, I get really upset with myself.
A crazy pickleball moment that I had involved me missing an ATP (ball hit the pole) and having it come right back at me only to hit it again out of frustrationā¦right into a female partnerās side that was sitting on the bench on the side of the court My one pickleball wish is that I achieve an official ranking of 5.0 or above one day.
Hi there. My name is Sarah Smith and I and from Las Vegas Nevada. I was introduced to pickleball a few years ago and have quickly grown to love the sport. I now play six days a week with my parents and a few other people. It has really made our family closer and has given me something to do during this crazy time we are enduring.
I canāt wait to start improving my technique and would like to start playing tournaments soon. I am excited to have a place to experience camaraderie and get support and encouragement to improve my game. I look forwarding to getting to know all of you!
My name is Megan Charity. I currently live in Charlottesville, VA, but Iām originally from South Africa. Like several other pickleball pros, my background is in tennis. I played on a professional tennis league in Germany before moving to America on a tennis scholarship at an NAIA university in Kentucky. I spent several years coaching at top tennis programs at the private club and D1 collegiate levels before discovering pickleball in 2018. I quickly fell in love with the game and have been competing in tournaments across the country ever since. Iām now a PPR certified coach and have helped build up the pickleball programs at local country clubs here in Charlottesville. When Iām not playing pickleball, Iām working with an awesome team to bring a new hospitality concept designed for athletes and activity-enthusiasts to Richmond, VA. Pickleball will be part of it, of course
Iām eager to get back out on the tournament circuit and meet/play with those of you I havenāt yet met!
Hi, I am Sandy Smith, from Macon, MO. (You might see me as Cassandra, my real name, on youtube sometimes). I found the Pickleballlist from @betterpickleball when she was talking to @Dayne and they suggested it, so I am adding it to my pickleball list of sites to visit
I am a fitness instructor, personal trainer, and pickleball instructor at our local YMCA. I am also a PPR certified pickleball coach, and a USAPA Ambassador . I love staying healthy and fit and helping others do so as well.
I have been playing pickleball for 2 years and love everything about it. The competition, the social aspect, the health benefits, everything!
My husband plays too and so when we travel we like to find places to play, where we always meet the friendliest people, playing pickleball!
I look forward the the fitness challenges, and making new friends here.
Btw, I created a longer version of my story, itās in the stories section
Hi everyone,
I luv pickle ball. Have been playing for about 6 years. My volleyball friend got me started. I usually play about 5 days a week and tournaments. In Appleton Wi we play outside if it is 50 degrees by 9 am or if desperate 45. My profile shows my new Covid 19 partner by my garage court. Enjoy playing with new people and sometimes having a cold beer after a hot match.
@PickleballPhil I would LOVE that! I am nowhere near your league but I am eager to get better and learn new skills. You name the day and time and I will be there. I am free pretty much any time!
Hello! As with so many others, I really fell head over heels for pickleball. I am now a full-time instructor and love the competition play of big tournaments, but still try to make time for some of the smaller ones that have such a fun atmosphere. My story goes like this: My parents introduced me to the sport in 2014 when I went back to Oregon to visit, expecting weād play some tennis, and they said āwe donāt play tennis anymore! Try pickleball.ā Well, fast forward 6 years, and pickleball has really become almost my entire life. I have worked with individuals, partners, groups, clubs, Pickleball Magazine, LevelUP Pickleball Camps, Rally Pickleball Camps, USAPA University, Boost Pickleball Camps, and currently own and operate Rise Pickleball Camps. Through my operations, I have catered to a variety of skill levels and group sizes. It is a very rewarding activity and I enjoy it very much. Traveling the country teaching has allowed me to meet people from all over, and one thing I consistently saw was how much kids enjoyed playing. It took me some time to figure out how I wanted to try to help get more kids involved with the sport, and in 2018, a group of like-minded pickleball enthusiasts and myself formed the Pickleball Legacy Scholarship Foundation. This is a non-profit 501c(3) registered in Utah with the mission of promoting pickleball, particularly to younger players, and also to award higher-education scholarships to qualifying youth pickleball athletes. I am very excited to be a part of this organization.
And now Iām excited to be a part of this community!
Iām Michelle Esquivel! Iām a professional Pickleball player with TeamEngagePickleball and Founder and Co-Director of Ultimate Pickleball Academy.
I LOVE pickleball, the community and happiness it brings to so many lives. Iām lucky enough to be able to compete at the top level and teach to people who want to excel. Cant wait to see you guys for the Covid 19 day challenge on Thursday! Stay safe
@roweda is such an amazing player, but what he is even better at is being such an amazing person. There are very few people that are as humble and willing to teach and help you progress like Rob is. If you have the opportunity to do a lesson with @roweda take it!!!
I think one of the things I would like to see change is to go to rally scoring because in any match among our large group, we frequently forget who is first server and who is second and It takes up valuable time trying to figure it out. Rally scoring eliminates that level of confusion.
Thereās several reasons I could share, on why I do not prefer rally scoring. However, this is one of those things I canāt dispute. I think there are also some sound reasons that rally scoring in pickleball could be a good thing for the sport.
One thing I donāt know is if pickleball would have had the same appeal to me when I started playing, if it was rally scoring. I donāt attribute my instant addiction to the game to the way that we score, but I canāt help but wonder if rally scoring would have created a different psychological effect that would not have been as captivating to me.
Thanks, Jordan, for your thoughts. I play with a group of about 20 players at about 3-3.5 rating. We use traditional scoring, but lately, when most players have left, I have gotten people in our group together to use rally scoring, and the one comment I get most is that it does eliminate the confusion that arises around which player served first and which second. Often, not one of the four players remembers. Since most of us are over 50, I think this will continue to be a problem at times. That is my main reason for wanting to rally score.
In doubles, with traditional scoring, it is true that one team has two tries to win a point. But, to me, when you play to 21 in rally instead of 11 in traditional, you still have plenty of chances to catch up if they get ahead. Maybe give it a try with some of your fellow players to see if you might like it.
My one pickleball wish is that I achieve an official ranking of 5.0 or above one day.
