Youth learned the basics of pickleball as the Sun City Pickleball Charter Club hosted an event on National Pickleball Day at Tall Oaks courts August 8. The event was held in cooperation with Sun City’s Grandparents, Grandchildren, and Me group.
“This is the third year we have offered it and it grows every year,” Sun City Pickleball Club President Pam White said.
After a fun session of tossing balls into buckets, “Grand Prize Game” style, instructors demonstrated the skills needed and then gave individual and small group lessons. About 77 players, some as young as 4- and 5-years-old, joined in and 40 volunteers helped out.
“Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S.,” Phil Haugens said, before giving the crowd a quick lesson on scoring, how the court is laid out and shots. “We have one club member who is 101.5 years old, and another who is a national singles champion.”
John Schwan (the local national champ), Jennifer Malalina, John Misto and Lori Klein did the honors of a brief doubles game.
“Aug. 8 was fantastic and how our Pickleball Club volunteers came to cover all 12 pickleball courts with six or seven grandchildren on each court was heartwarming.”
Haugens explained how his interest in pickleball began.
“Personally, (it was) when my wife Kathi, and I moved from the Peoria area to be closer to our two sons and their families (four grandchildren),” Haugens said. “Having been involved in playing softball, golf, and being an IHSA varsity basketball official for 50 years, I wanted to become involved in all sports being offered in the Sun City community, which would lead to meeting new friends and continue my love in playing sports.”
He added, “Pickleball was just getting started in Sun City, and I became actively involved from the outset in the organization, learning and playing the game of pickleball and continued in volunteering my time, like numerous other Sun City Pickleball Club members, instructing new members the fundamentals of pickleball.”
