As we know only too well, pickleball is about much more than finding a new way to stay active. Jacqui Strickland started playing pickleball 5 years ago after she started taking care of her late husband during his cancer treatment. He built her a pickleball court before he passed away 2 years ago from Covid-19.
Changed Her Life
Strickland says pickleball has changed her life by helping her make friends, cope with the loss of her husband, and give her many new opportunities.
Jacqui started playing pickleball five years ago after she started taking care of her late husband during his cancer treatment.
“My late husband built me a court in my backyard, and I’ve been playing ever since and just love, love, love it,” she told Dominique Leh of Texas television channel KXXV. “Playing pickleball has changed my life. I don’t know what I would have done without it.”
The “Awesome Pickleball Outreach” Program
Van Davis shares that same love for the sport. Van started the “Awesome Pickleball Outreach” program only a few months ago, and now she holds classes, free play sessions, and even tournaments at her church in Waco, Texas.
“We want to be able to bring pickleball to smaller communities that might now know pickleball, and I’ve got some great people that will come and help me. We’ve got nets we can take out; if there’s a parking lot somewhere, we can teach people how to play pickleball,” she says.
The Sense Of Togetherness And Friendship
Davis said having people come together helps create a fun, active atmosphere for families heading into the New Year:
“The whole family can come do this, not just a husband and wife. We want husbands and wives to come together. We want a family with children to play and be active together.”
Strickland’s husband passed away from COVID-19 two years ago, but the positive atmosphere and sense of togetherness and friendship that surrounds pickleball has helped her cope with his loss.
Her Biggest Supporter
She remembers how he was her biggest supporter: “He goes, ‘I want you to be the best pickleball player you can,’ and he was probably my number one supporter. Well, he was my number one fan. Never missed a competition.
“Before he passed away, I was playing in tournaments. He didn’t get to see me play in very many of them, but he was always there,” Strickland said.
A tournament held last Saturday raised money to purchase new paddles and balls and helped contribute to the continued success of the free outreach program.
Free Pickleball Sessions
The program holds free pickleball practices Monday through Thursday. The sessions are from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Beginners’ classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., with competitive meets from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the same days.
Central United Methodist Church is at 5740 Bagby Avenue, Waco, Texas.
