Pickleball participant Alice Edington, 56, returns the ball to her opponents throughout a doubles match on the Florida Senior Video games. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport and it is also fashionable with older athletes.
Zack Wittman for NPR
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Zack Wittman for NPR
WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — On the Wiregrass Ranch Sports activities Campus on a current Tuesday morning, dozens of pickleball gamers gathered round match director Aaron Del Mar.
Wearing a neon inexperienced shirt, with a walkie-talkie microphone clipped to his chest, Del Mar bellowed out directions, earlier than dispatching the gamers throughout two dozen indoor courts.
“We’ll be operating a round-robin system immediately, ” he advised the group. “It’s possible you’ll be taking part in in opposition to groups which may be youthful or older than you. For those who do not need to play them, you do not have to.”
The gamers competing listed below are everywhere in the age of fifty. Some had include their grownup kids cheering them on within the stands. Some wore colourful shirts that matched their teammates. And all had been vying for a spot within the Nationwide Senior Video games in 2025.
Pickleball gamers heat up earlier than their competitors on the Florida Senior Video games.
Zack Wittman for NPR
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Zack Wittman for NPR
Many states throughout the nation host senior video games, which embody all forms of sports activities like archery, basketball and mountain biking. However right here in Florida, pickleball is the crown jewel. Nick Gandy, sports activities data supervisor for the Florida Senior Video games, says almost 600 gamers registered to compete, together with some who traveled from exterior of Florida.
“It is like they are going again to their youthful days after they did this with their mates,” mentioned Gandy, who’s been concerned with the Florida Senior Video games for 25 years. “Nevertheless it’s a extra mature, grownup group of individuals simply attempting to remain lively, and keep wholesome, and keep concerned in a sport that they love, and so they meet different folks that encourage them.”
As a part of our collection on lively growing older, we headed all the way down to Florida to spend a while with pickleball gamers as they competed for nationals. A few of them had been competing on the state stage for the primary time. Others had been taking part in for years. One couple made it their mission to medal at senior video games in each state.
Virtually to an individual, after we requested them for recommendation for anybody who hoped to select up a paddle or start a brand new sport the reply was easy: Simply begin.
Ruth Weil, 76, of The Villages, Fla.
Ruth Weil began taking part in pickleball 15 years in the past after she and her spouse moved to The Villages, a sprawling retirement group. She says the lively group there’s a part of what retains her going.
Ruth Weil began taking part in pickleball 15 years in the past after she and her spouse moved to The Villages, a sprawling retirement group in Florida.
Zack Wittman for NPR
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Zack Wittman for NPR
“I’ve two very dangerous knees that I simply hold plugging alongside — cortisone photographs — understanding that finally I will need to have replacements. Nevertheless it’s only a matter of getting out and doing it and attempting to remain lively … I imply, now we have issues happening morning, midday and evening.
“I take a look at all people, and I mentioned, ‘How fortunate all of us are at this age, to have the ability to nonetheless compete,’ ” Weil mentioned.
Her spouse, Pleasure, can also be a aggressive pickleball participant.
Ruth Weil, 76, (proper) receives her gold medal on the Florida Senior Video games. She’s going to play within the nationwide video games in 2025.
Zack Wittman for NPR
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Zack Wittman for NPR
“My spouse, who’s 85 years previous in January, remains to be competing in pickleball and she or he is right here immediately,” Weil mentioned. “And she or he, to me, is an inspiration for everyone. As a result of what number of 85-year-olds do you see out taking part in? So so long as she competes, I’ll compete.”
On the Florida Senior Video games, Weil clinched her spot and can play within the nationwide video games in 2025 in each pickleball and softball.
She and Pleasure plan to load their automobile full of kit, and drive from The Villages to Des Moines, Iowa, to allow them to see a part of the USA earlier than competitors begins.
Gene Berg, 72, and Margaret Berg, 63, of Litchfield, N.H.
Gene Berg has an bold aim: He desires to medal within the senior video games in each state within the nation. To date? He is as much as 36.
Once we requested Gene how he began on this path, he laughed, and mentioned: “I feel it is only a fetish.”
Gene Berg, 72, competes in his singles match on the Florida Senior Video games.
Zack Wittman for NPR
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Zack Wittman for NPR
“It is his bucket record. I am going to play within the video games however I haven’t got to get a medal,” Margaret mentioned. “But when I get a medal and he would not we nonetheless have to return to that state.”
They began taking part in pickleball when their children obtained older.
“We spent in all probability 35 years chasing youth sports activities,” Gene mentioned. “And when the youths left the nest, we had nothing left to chase, so we needed to chase one another.”
Margaret provides, “he mentioned, ‘I’ve heard about this sport, pickleball, do you need to attempt it?’ And we went to our native, little indoor gymnasium the place the folks taught us how one can play.”
Now, Gene performs about 4 occasions every week, for hours at a time. Although, he and Margaret each notice that they are cautious to stretch to keep away from harm.
Margaret Berg, 63, and Gene Berg, 72, watch pickleball matches on the sidelines on the Florida Senior Video games.
Zack Wittman for NPR
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Zack Wittman for NPR
The 2 have a 22-foot Airstream and incessantly drive from competitors to competitors. However on this current journey to Florida, they opted to fly. It is their seventh or eighth occasion this 12 months.
“Florida’s obtained numerous retirees, numerous good gamers,” Gene mentioned. “So we’re a bit nervous coming down right here, however right here we’re.”
Sondra Boruty, 58 of Tampa, and Tania Miller, 57
As Tania Miller performed pickleball on the Florida Senior Video games, her dad and mom watched from the metallic bleachers. It was their affect that led her to select up a paddle herself.
“My dad and mom at all times performed and I at all times made enjoyable of it, ‘Oh pickleball, it is for previous folks,’ ” she mentioned. “They usually had been like, you should get out of the home and do one thing apart from go to work.”
She was hooked by the primary sport.
Sondra Boruty, 58, (high left) and Tania Miller, 57, (high proper) return the ball to their opponents as they compete of their doubles match on the Florida Senior Video games.
Zack Wittman for NPR
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Zack Wittman for NPR
“You do not have to be a brilliant athlete or be additional robust to hit ball,” she mentioned.
Miller met her pickleball accomplice, Sondra Boruty, on the native rec heart.
“We simply clicked, in all methods, in life too,” Miller mentioned. “Very same age born the very same 12 months. We each went to varsity for artwork and design. I imply, so many issues simply clicked, and it was immediately.
“It is like so many issues fell into place, like as soon as we began taking part in collectively and, you recognize, and we do exterior issues collectively now too,” she mentioned. “It was a destiny factor.”
Alice Edington, 56, and Teresa Cheney 62, of Palm Coast, Fla.
Alice Edington and Teresa Cheney had been first-timers on the Florida Senior Video games. We spoke to them as they stepped off the courtroom after their first sport — a victory.
Edington says she loves that she’s “nonetheless within the sport.”
Sondra Boruty, 58, (from left) and Tania Miller, 57, with their opponents, Alice Edington, 56, and Teresa Cheney, 62.
Zack Wittman for NPR
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Zack Wittman for NPR
“I actually was a aggressive racquetball participant, however my knees simply would not take it over time,” she mentioned. “And so with the ability to play one other sport, I imply, it could look sluggish while you’re watching it, however while you’re taking part in it, you recognize, it’s totally aggressive and it simply provides you that previous feeling once more.”
Each girls keep lively off the pickleball courtroom, too. Edington does cardio, walks and swims. Cheney energy trains with kettlebells, runs and does Pilates.
“I imply, [I’m] 62 and I am nonetheless capable of play — knock on wooden — competitively,” Cheney mentioned.
Age is a quantity, she added. “Simply exit and have enjoyable.”
Debra Wells-Lynn, 70, of Poinciana, Fla.
Debra Wells-Lynn is not only a pickleball participant. She’s additionally a coach. A former tennis participant, she picked up pickleball when she moved to Florida from New York.
“I ate tennis, I drank tennis, I cherished tennis, it was all about tennis,” she mentioned. “However then, after I obtained down right here, tennis type of went out the window.”
Pickleball participant Debra Wells-Lynn, 70, prepares to serve throughout a match on the Florida Senior Video games. Wells-Lynn is a former tennis participant who picked up pickleball when she moved to Florida.
Zack Wittman for NPR
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Zack Wittman for NPR
She took a category for newbies and instantly fell in love with the game.
“You’ve got a bonus while you’re a tennis participant, and also you come into pickleball, nice benefit as a result of you understand how the ball bounces,” she mentioned.
Her recommendation for brand new pickleball gamers? Pay shut consideration. Listening to instructors will assist keep away from harm and hold you taking part in longer.
