The
Rewards of Being Physically Active
by Dylan
Chipperfield, Bachelor of Kinesiology.
The rewards of being physically active are
endless. Being
physically active can reduce the risk of having a heart attack or
stroke by 50%. It also reduces the risk of diabetes, colon and breast
cancer, osteoporosis and other prevalent chronic conditions and health
problems.
Beyond that, a physically active lifestyle can provide many
psycho-social benefits, such as a reduced risk of depression, and
increased self-worth. While most individuals in Canada are aware of
these benefits, Stats Canada reports that in 2005 only 50% of
individuals took part in enough physical activity to provide them with
the health benefits listed above.
Among the demographics, the least active are men and women over the
age of 65. In my practice, I have had the great opportunity to support
and counsel thousands of older adults trying to make a change in their
lifestyle, to become more physically active for the purpose of
improving their health.
In all of my failures and successes with these clients, a couple of key
elements have become clear to me that are crucial to helping someone
become more physically active. One of these key elements is for
individuals to choose an activity that offers them a good mixture of
enjoyment, social interaction, and movement patterns that they are able
to perform safely and confidently.
A year ago, I was invited by a friend to come and experience the sport
of pickleball. I have to admit that at first I was very skeptical, but
when my friend told me that there were over 60 participants taking part
on a daily basis and the group was growing everyday, I thought, what do
I have to lose?
I entered the South Surrey Recreation Centre and gave it a try. I
immediately saw the tremendous potential that this sport would offer
older adults,who were looking to become more physically active. By
playing this racquet sport on a smaller court compared to that of a
tennis court, the relative intensity of the sport is reduced.
Utilizing a lighter ball that moves at slower speeds also reduces the
intensity of the sport compared with most other racquet sports. For
older adults, who have limitations to their exercise capacity, playing
doubles on an indoor court can further reduce the impact and intensity
of this sport. Since my experience a year ago, I have recommended
pickleball to a number of my clients and those that have taken my
advice have had very positive experiences playing the sport.
I believe pickleball offers a great mix of enjoyment, social
interaction and movement patterns that can be performed by a wide range
of individuals. As with most physical activities, individuals with
chronic conditions, such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, should
consult their physician and exercise specialist prior to playing the
sport.
About Dylan
Chipperfield. Dylan has been working with adult exercise
programs over the last nine years across Western Canada. He holds a
Bachelor of Kinesiology degree and has been certified by the Canadian
Society of Exercise Physiology and the American College of Sports
Medicine. He currently works with the Fraser Health Authority and the
Richmond Fitness and Wellness Associations as an Exercise Specialist.
Singing
Pete - Pete LaBarbera
By Dick Manasseri
Pete LaBarbera is our featured ambassador this month
from Michigan who has a totally unique way of promoting pickleball.
Think Gene Kelly
“Who’s Singing for the Game? Who’s Singing for the Game?
Glorious Feeling,We’re Happy Again. …..”
You
get the idea and so do lots of other Pickleball players because our
guy, Singing Pickleball Pete started us “Singing and Dancing for the
Game”. Just start humming your favorite song and changing the words to
describe how you feel about Pickleball.
You remember
“Sugartime” by the McGuire Sisters. Well, Singing Pickleball Pete went
the extra 10 miles and rewrote all the lyrics to reflect his feelings
about Pickleball and, as they say, the rest is history.
Well……..,
meet me in the morning,
meet me in the evening, meet me at Pickleball time
Be my Pickleball partner and we’ll have a good ole time.
Meet me by the kitchen,
meet me at the baseline, meet me by the net, -that’s fine
Be my Pickleball partner and we’ll have a good ole time.
Go and grab your paddle,
and swear to your friends around
You’ll be loving Pickleball, til the end of time.
Etc.
Pete
recorded a CD of “Pickleball Time” which is played fondly at Karaoke
parties that are springing up around Pickleball tournaments. And now
the contagious nature of Pickleball has spread to the contagious realm
of that mad mixture of music and dance and play called “Pickleoke”.
Is
that Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey, I hear in the background inside
the gym on a cold winter night? Why that’s Pickleball Pete singing
along, moving his feet to the music and, oh yeah, hitting a forehand
winner down the line.
Who
is Singing Pickleball Pete, you ask? Why, it’s Pete LaBarbera of
Rochester Hills, MI. Pete may have learned to sing in his native Sicily
before coming to America at age four. After 34 years with UPS, Pete has
found that his voice and his performing skills enable him to bring
smiles to audiences large and small.
Pete loves to get people
started playing that first game of Pickleball. He knows it’s
contagious,
just like the songs that he loves to sing and we love to hear. Thanks,
Pete, for starting yet another way for us to enjoy the Game.
But
there’s more! We now have “Pickleball Pop” (think “Jingle Bell Rock”,
lyrics by a player in Florida), and “Pickleball, Pickleball, Everyone
Knows” (think Oliver “Omp Pah Pah”, lyrics by Betty Jones) echoing from
courts in Florida and Michigan.
Not to be outdone, The
Original Picklettes (Sandy, Jeanne, and Sue) took to the stage at the
Michigan Senior Olympics singing their original song “You are my
Pickleball” (think “Sunshine”) to rave reviews.
The Original Picklettes
Rumor
has it that the Original Pickelettes will be appearing along with
Singing Pickleball Pete at the USAPA Ladder League Awards Dinner in
Rochester, MI on Friday, March 13th where they will be debuting their
new single “An Irish Pickleball Ballad”.
Somebody should be getting a video of all this……Stay tuned!
More
With MO
The
Tanglewood Pickleball Club Receives Coaching from the Best
By Wayne Roswell
How can a small club advance its players to a more competitive level?
Bring in one of the best coaches from a larger club. That is
exactly what the Tanglewood Pickleball Club did in Sebring, FL. on
Friday, January 30 and Saturday, January 31. Dick “Mo”
Movsessian
from The Villages, Florida came down at his own expense to provide two
clinics to 28 players.
Mo breaks everything he teaches about
Pickleball into the
very basics and makes it sound logical; the sign of a great
teacher. That may come from the fact that he taught physical education
and coached high school tennis back in MA. As soon as players noticed
the two worn spots on his paddle, both sides, same “sweet spot”, he had
our attention.
Mo ran through the serve, the backhand and forehand, the four types of
volleys, and finally, the lob and the overhead, constantly focusing on
how to get back in the ready position for the next shot. He gave tips
on how to keep your eye on the ball by making a sound to
yourself.
One player, said in sudden realization, “this game is just like every
other game, keep your eye on the ball, set toward the target, and
follow through. How easy is that! I’ve been doing it wrong the whole
time.”
After each instructional session came practice. As players did their
drills, Mo came around and helped individuals correct problems,
practice form and improve their shots. Most important, he encouraged
every one; the sign of a true coach. Mo’s whole coaching strategy is
teach in small stages, practice, and demonstrate. “Teach, practice, and
demonstrate.”
It is great that smaller
clubs such as Tanglewood have the opportunity to learn from the best
coaches of
other clubs. This is what the game of Pickleball is all
about,
"caring and sharing."
Mo shares his knowledge with the Pickleball world at his new website
http://www.pickleballcoach.com.
Pickleball
Officiating - "Are We There Yet?"
By Sandra
Stultz
An
ongoing problem of running a pickleball tournament is finding enough
"qualified" referees. What inevitably happens is that those
players who are spectators are called upon to
officiate
matches. The efforts of all of those volunteers has been
greatly
appreciated. Someday, the status of a pickleball referee
needs to
be elevated to the same level as that of referees in other competitive
sports. Are we there yet?
The following is a suggested recommendation for training USAPA
officials:
1) designate one or two people who have this same dream and are capable
of training officials;
2) establish a list of potential officials within each state;
3) offer training sessions within each state;
4)
observe potential officials, offer a written test and award a rating to
those who qualify as a "USAPA Pickleball Rated Official".
The
goal would be to provide rated officials for all sanctioned
tournaments. Officials would be provided with a USAPA white
shirt
with an appropriate logo indicating that the person has completed the
training and is a USAPA rated official. The second goal would
be
to eventually pay a minimal officiating fee and/or mileage to officiate
USAPA sanctioned tournaments.
Are you a potential USAPA rated
official? The following checklist provides you with a list of
characteristics of a good official.
1) A genuine interest in the sport.
2) Confidence
3) Good communication and interpersonal skills.
4) The ability to remain focused on the competition.
5) The ability to remain calm under pressure.
6) The ability to maintain control of a match.
An
official is a person who can be placed into a position of authority and
can handle the responsibilities without being overbearing. As
a
pickleball official, you are in charge, however, it is the players who
the fans have come to watch, not YOU!!
Editors
Note. I know my own club is looking at referee training and
trying to do the best job we can do. I thank Sandy for
writing
this article of what the future of referees in our sport might look
like. I commend all players who volunteer to take on the task
of
an official, it is not an easy job. For more excellent
articles,
go to the website of Sandy and friend Mary Littlewood at http://pickleballsuccess.com/
"Palm
Desert Tournament Breaks Record"
By Chris Thomas
A
record 173 participants turned out for the 4th consecutive pickleball
tournament, as part of the 9th consecutive International Sports
Festival (ISF) in Palm Desert, CA., February 5 - 8.
Players
ranged in age from 41 to 89. New this year was the inclusion
of
the 35-49 age group. Pickleball attracted the most players of
any
sport in ISF.
The USAPA booth, hosted by Nancy and David
Jordan, did a brisk business. Seventeen new members joined,
while
4 others renewed their membership. Fourteen door prizes,
which
were donated by pickleball vendors and local merchants, were also
distributed.
Volunteers
are needed for the Website
Committee
By Bill Booth
The
USAPA website is the primary medium for providing information about our
great sport. As the number of players and tournaments has increased
rapidly in the last year, the website activity has grown with it to the
point where it is not practical for a single person to manage it all.
We
need a committee of volunteers to help maintain specific areas of the
site. Much of the updating of the site can be done by people without
needing a lot of technical knowledge. In some cases, it just a matter
of filling out an online form. In other cases, a little more knowledge
and editorial judgment would be required. A number of specific areas
have been identified that can be maintained by people with basic
computer skills, but not highly technical knowledge. Click
here for more details.
Vacancies on
the
USAPA Board
Help to determine the direction of North America's fastest growing
sport. Join the USAPA board as the chairperson of the Rankings
Committee or the Ratings Committee.
The Rankings Committee
assigns national rankings points to tournament
medal winners based on an established formula for the current year. We
also need committee members that can help with data input. Click here for more
information about the USAPA ranking system.
The Ratings Committee
establishes ratings for players that can be used
to help place players into the proper skill division for tournaments
and leagues and to assist in tournament
seeding. Click
here for more information about the USAPA rating system.
If you can assist with rankings points data input or would consider
being chairman of either committee, please send
an email to Bill Booth.
Upcoming Tournaments
For a complete list of upcoming tournaments, please go to
USAPA Tournaments
Schedule.
Editor's
Comments
As winter draws to a close, the daylight hours lengthen, and
the temps warm, more and more events and tournaments will be
taking place. I would like to get more of those events
headlined in this e-pickleball newsletter.
I
want to have
articles that appeal to all players both recreational and competitive
alike. I need the help of all Pickleball players to make this
happen. Write the article and I will make sure it gets in.
If your region or club has not been highlighted, send me an
article and I will make sure it does.
Please forward articles on unique things happening
in your neck of the Pickleball world.
Send your
submissions to newsletter@usapa.org
. I would appreciate your comments on the newsletter. |