A concrete badminton court on a wooded lot was where pickleball all started. Chalk it up to some dads on Bainbridge Island, WA wanting to relax and watch golf on TV, and their ingenuity to get the bored kids out of the house in 1965. For the complete history and your enjoyment, Jennifer Lucore and her mother Beverly Youngren have written it all down and you can find it here:
Fast forward 54 years to the lovely home of the athletically gifted Doug and Allison in Sequim and their two daughters. They are both 5.0 pickleball players and Doug is a P.E. Coach. They have a love of sports that is clearly evident in their fenced back yard. Nestled in amongst an archery target, a corn hole game, a large trampoline, and a fire pit for S'mores making contests, there is a basketball hoop overlooking the main feature - a gorgeous pickleball court.
When I originally posted our pickleball road trip plans on Pickleball Forum, an invitation was extended to us by Allison to visit them to play on their court. What a treat! Doug gives pickleball lessons, and when we arrived, he was just finishing a session with a couple named Marlene and Jim. Allison's parents, Beverly and Marty were on hand to greet us as well.
Marlene and Jim stayed around so that we could have some fun matches with them, Allison, Doug and Beverly. We mixed it up every way possible playing together and we had an absolutely delightful afternoon that left us feeling pleasantly exhausted. Know that feeling?
I had been wanting to practice interviewing skills, and Doug and Beverly were gracious to give me an opportunity to record them. My bungling around with my GoPro took several attempts due to a dead battery and an SD card that needed to be reformatted. Lesson learned - have my camera gear in ready condition before such an undertaking.
Specifically I had wanted to talk with them about their efforts along with others in town to have the Carrie Blake Pickleball Courts built. I had been told by locals that Doug and Beverly were instrumental in the activities that led to the successful completion of Sequim's eight beautiful new courts. Once I got my act together, they were stars in front of the camera. However, I neglected to get around to asking them about their involvement in building the public courts. Clearly I need more focus both on and off the court!
While I flew my drone and took some aerial shots, Doug played singles with Ky and gave him some pointers. What a great teacher Doug is - Ky picked up some really good tips and strategies that will serve him well. It was fun to watch them from a different point of view.
For the video interview and singles point take a look here:
https://youtu.be/ASmu4AVP8Ys
We had the pleasure to briefly meet one of Doug and Allison's daughters. Beverly was openly joyful to be involved in a sport that three generations could play together. And trust me, at 75, she is a force to be reckoned with. One of my favorite games of the day was one I played with her - she's a blast! The video gives a good taste of her fun attitude and spirit.
Thank you so much for a terrific day!
Speedy Shots from Sequim, WA!
Comments