Pickleball has brought two communities together in very different circumstances in Sandy, Utah, and Albany, Georgia, over the last week.
Coming Together For A Much-Loved Sport
Friends and family gathered in remembrance of a Utah man who tragically passed away in Puerto Rico earlier this autumn. They united in a game he cherished dearly: pickleball.
An Adrenaline Junky
Ben Kerbs, 52, vanished on October 26 while on vacation. He was last spotted paddling from Playa Escondida beach in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Officials discovered his body the following day.
Reflecting on Kerbs’ life with KSL-TV’s Brianna Chavez, his friend Jake Thomas shared, “He was an adrenaline junky and did so much.”
Thomas also mentioned Kerbs’ love of life and generous nature:
“He had a very action-packed life, but he went out of his way to make sure people had fun with him. Within the last month of him passing, he was calling people and reaching out to them because he felt prompted to check on people, and that’s just the way he was,”
Kerbs’ passion for pickleball was huge, as Devan Egan, owner of Club Pickleball USA, recalls:
“I remember we had a tournament down in Orem where he had an injured shoulder; he came and played in the tournament with his opposite hand.”
“All About Community”
Egan also highlighted Kerbs’ role in fostering the local pickleball scene when he added, “He’s one of the original people in Salt Lake that really got pickleball going in our community,”
The Saturday gathering at Club Pickleball USA in Sandy attracted a large crowd of players, from amateurs to professional athletes, all uniting to honor Kerbs by playing the sport he loved.
A particularly poignant comment heard on the night was, “The sport itself is all about community and bringing people together and giving people an infrastructure, a support system, friend system and a social network that’s what Ben was to so many people.”
Proceeds from the event were dedicated to supporting the Kerbs family. If you wish to make a donation to support the Kerbs family, please click here.
Albany, GA, Church Adds To City’s Free Offerings
In a bid to offer more accessible resources to the city, Move Christian Church, Albany, Georgia, has unveiled its own pickleball courts, inviting the community to engage in this most social of activities.
Three Open-To-All Pickleball Courts
The church has introduced three pickleball courts, open to all, as a means to keep the community active and connected. Pickleballer Bob Langstaff emphasized the dual benefits, telling Lenah Allen of WALB News, “It’s great exercise, and you get to meet new people.”
The site, formerly an abandoned basketball court that drew complaints from residents, has been revitalized into a vibrant outdoor space. It now features a walking trail and a playground, addressing a previously unmet need in the community.
Dalton Smith, Move Christian Church’s Youth Pastor, recognized the lack of accessible community spaces and highlighted the significance of this development, saying, “
“I noticed that there was a hurting for something for the community to come out whenever they wanted to. So this will be a huge asset for the community.”
The Accessibility Of Pickleball
Langstaff highlighted the accessibility of the sport, noting, “There are a lot of different ways to be pretty good at pickleball. Like, you don’t have to take lessons. You can just get a friend to go out there and show you the ropes.”
Despite its accessibility, pickleball remains a sport that gets the heart racing and the juices flowing, but all packed into a low-impact workout.
Move Christian Church’s outdoor park project is nearing completion. They are seeking contributions for solar panel lights around the pickleball courts to ensure 24-hour accessibility.
To support this initiative, you can learn more and donate by clicking here.
