How I Fell in Love with Pickleball (at 81!)

Looking to meet new friends in a new neighborhood, I wandered over to our little community park one day. What I found was a group of middle-aged women having the time of their lives poking and pushing and smashing and slashing a small whiffle ball around.

The old tennis court had been transformed into a makeshift pickleball court with hand-painted lines, a sagging net, and cracks where grass grew. Dogs ran through the play, kids whizzed by on bikes and skates, and the snow-capped Rocky Mountains loomed in the distance.

I stood on the sidelines watching patiently, trying to figure out the scoring system and the point of the game—other than pure fun. I figured if I hung out long enough, someone would notice my eagerness and invite me in.
And they did.

When that moment came, I jumped right in, knowing I could probably manage this game. After all, I had once been the top junior tennis player in the country and even a Wimbledon semi-finalist. Surely pickleball couldn’t be too difficult—even at my age, 81.
That was the beginning of my love affair with pickleball.

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Finding Friends and Building Skills
Those four women soon became my closest friends. Together we laughed, stumbled through the rules, and reinterpreted the scoring system every time someone new showed up with advice.

Around the same time, I started teaching my unusual form of tennis—“Zennis,” a dance-like, happy way of swinging the racket—at The Garden of the Gods Resort and Club. Before long, I added pickleball to my teaching. The funny thing? I could barely keep score myself!

But that didn’t stop me. Teaching kept me one step ahead of my students. It also sparked the idea for my book, DARE TO DINK: Pickleball for Seniors and Anyone Else Who Wants to Have Fun.

The Head Rackets Pro was shocked.“You’ve only been playing six months!” he said.
I smiled. Nothing was going to stop me. After all, I’d already written and illustrated over 100 children’s books. Why not pickleball?

What Pickleball Means to Others
While gathering stories for my book, I asked fellow players—most of them seniors—why they loved pickleball. Their answers warmed my heart.

• “As a recent widow and an empty nester, there is nothing like pickleball for making new friends, and having fun while exercising.” – Mary, 63
• “I love pickleball because of the people I meet. It’s great exercise and good for the brain!” – Susan, 73
• “What I love about pickleball is it’s like I get to be a kid again! I haven’t felt this way since competitive sports in high school.” – Mic, 69
• And my favorite: “The hardest part about playing pickleball is learning the names of all my new friends!” – Pat, 80
  

These comments echo what I’ve discovered: pickleball isn’t just a sport. It’s a community.

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Lessons Pickleball Has Taught Me
Over time, I’ve made some observations about the game:

1. Age and gender don’t matter. Everyone plays with everyone.
2. Everyone is a teacher. If you don’t know what to do, someone will happily show you.
3. No class distinctions. Only skill and joy matter on the court.
4. It’s inexpensive. All you need is a paddle, a few balls, and sneakers.

Best of all, it offers the gift of learning something new at any age. As someone who once thrived on tennis titles, I find it thrilling to master fresh skills, whether it’s a tricky drop shot or better ball control.

I see the same excitement in my students. One woman with two hip replacements can no longer ride horses, but pickleball gave her a new passion. Another had never hit a ball before, yet she beams every week as she grows more confident.

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A New Kind of Happiness
Some of my happiest moments now are in the summers here in Colorado Springs. I sling my pickleball bag over my shoulder, grab my visor and water jug, and head to Monument Valley Park.

Walking through the trees toward the courts, I can already hear the laughter, the pop-pop of the ball, and then the greetings begin:
“Hi, Sally.”
“Good to see you, Sally.”
“Want to play in?”
It makes my heart sing.

Pickleball may look like just a simple game, but for me—and for so many others—it’s a source of joy, friendship, fitness, and lifelong learning.

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Want to Learn More?If you’re curious about trying pickleball, or if you’re already playing and want to dive deeper into the fun, my book Dare to Dink, click here.

For pickleball gifts and art by Sally Huss, click here.