What has Pickleball taught you about life? As a former Tennis player, my transition to Pickleball has taught me many valuable life lessons. I won many games and lost too.
One would think that going from pickleball to tennis would be easy. But it was difficult. As someone who played tennis for seventeen years, played on my college team and went on to instruct and coach for ten years, the transition to playing the fun pickleball took time. Still, I could not ignore the life lessons learned from playing pickleball.
My first time on a pickleball court was at one of the tennis clubs I worked at pre-pandemic with masking tape lines. A lesson had been canceled at the last minute—thankfully, it was the last one for the night—and the Monday night pickleball crew were coming onto the court. They had an uneven number of players and thought pulling me, a tennis instructor, onto the court would be a good substitute for one of their players.
Going from Tennis to Play Pickleball Taught me invaluable life lessons
We quickly discovered how terrible I was at this game. I fumbled the doubles, scored up, stepped into the kitchen, and illegally volleyed. It turns out that doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome truly is the definition of insanity because I kept trying to put topspin on every shot despite them all landing ahead into the net.
Despite the rocky start, I fell in love. I overcame my feud with how to say the doubles scoring and embraced a different playing technique one must employ when stepping onto the courts with a pickleball paddle in hand.
The intensity of pickleball is something that is addictive — not to mention the sound of a ball hit by a paddle. Whether you win or lose, each practice teaches something. After that night of substituting, I made that Monday night pickleball group a regular thing every week. I learned many lessons about success, and failures along the way.
Playing Pickleball shifted my Perspective and Overall Nature
Top pickleball lessons learned on a Pickleball court:
1. Think fast, but be patient
In pickleball sport, you have to think two to three shots again because the game is so fast-paced. Since I picked up my first paddle, it’s become easier to be patient and find the right time to go for my shots or hit the balls. I should have learned this lesson a decade ago on the tennis court or while playing ping pong. Unlike tennis, the quickness of the game allowed for a greater learning curve. There is no doubt why pickleball is the fastest growing sport. Further, this fun sport is able to teach multiple life lessons coming from the social and community benefits of this game. It also taught me to be careful of my opponents.
2. Community
The pickleball community in my small town is very tight-knit, but it’s not an exclusive group. The Monday night group welcomed me with open arms. I made fast friends, partners and relationships with many different age groups. After playing pickleball, it’s common to find us at the local sushi restaurant and enjoy a laugh. Pickleball has enriched my social life.
3. Move Your Feet
When you’re having a bad day playing pickleball, your footwork is usually the root of the problem. It’s probably slow, uncoordinated. It’s an excellent reminder that if I’m a little more active with my footwork, I’ll be in a better place to set up the shot or serve. And this is the lesson that carries over to my mental health. I tell myself to move my feet when I’m feeling down or having a sluggish day. That takes the form of a walk outside with my dog, and it resets the day. Regular practice and game play sharpens my pickleball skills. It also helps me to break negative notions and develop better ones in just a matter of time.
Careful Focus and Aim
Focusing while you point the pickleball paddle improves the focus in life also. Surely, one plays games to win, to earn points , score the best, improve their success rates or to rectify their mistakes. But with pickleball, losing a game may not be that bad. I realize it will be developing your mind positively.
