We’ve recently seen pickleball mentioned in this work of non-fiction, but how about pickleball prose?
The author, poet, and pickleball Doug Snelson has released his most recent collection, Pickleball Poetry: Fun and Whimsical Verses to Dink About. Doug first picked up a paddle eight years, although he’s always enjoyed tennis and ping pong.
“I’ve always liked racket sports,” he says. “I was captain of my high school tennis team, and my dad taught me a lot about table tennis. We played that a lot as a family.”
Snelson has produced five children’s books, but Pickleball Poetry is aimed at readers of all ages.
“The 32 short poems in this book are genuinely homegrown on LBI (Long Beach Island),” commented Snelson, a summer resident of Brant Beach, Long Beach, NJ. “Last summer, I played pickleball at the Nelson Avenue courts in Beach Haven in the morning and was on the beach the same afternoon thinking about my need to write something that might result in a new publication.
TV interview about my new book, “Pickleball Poetry: Fun and Whimsical Verses to Dink About”.
— Douglas Snelson (@snelson_doug) April 14, 2023
It’s written for adult players and makes a memorable gift for pickleball teams and players as well as a special gift for Mother’s Day, Fat…https://t.co/5x4ZFK0nd2 https://t.co/SqowuqhBjB
A Great Response
“Of course, for me, it’s always a desire to express my heart, mind, and soul. So I started writing stream-of-consciousness phrases in my journal and thought about my pickleball session that morning. I drafted some simple couplets, and the book began to take shape from there.
“I’ve never had such a response to anything I’ve written. Within two weeks of the publication date, pickleball players bought the book around the United States, France, Germany, and Poland.”
The pickleball player and former New York Times freelance illustrator Jim Ditmars has also provided 32 illustrations for the book.
Snelson added, “Jim, my wife, Diane, and myself reviewed almost 60 sketches before deciding on the final 32. I also asked two certified pickleball trainers and official ambassadors, Andrea Jones and Karl Lombel, if they would be my consultants on the book. They kindly agreed. In addition, Karl and Andrea oversee the (pickleball) courts at Nelson Avenue (2301-2351 West Ave, Beach Haven, NJ 08008).
“Pickled”
“The first poem is called ‘Pickled.’ It speaks to any players who have lost a game 11-0. No matter what skill level players achieve, I have never known any player who hasn’t lost 11-0.”
The last poem in the book is called “Paddle Click.”
A word about the truth,
We all call sportsmanship.
No need to be uncouth,
Be slow to let your inside slip.
Treat with respect, they did their best,
Good shot, good try, play fair,
What troubles you should lie to rest,
A good sport means you care.
It’s just a game; you win, you lose,
Play hard, play kind, be in the thick.
Play for the love, avoid the blues,
End with a smile and paddle click.
Pickleball Poetry: Fun and Whimsical Verses to Dink About celebrates the people who play America's fastest-growing sport. The book is a collection of 32 poems.
“It speaks to sportsmanship and the reason we all play,” says Snelson. “The ‘paddle click’ is the last thing all four players do when the game is over.”
People can buy the book at dougsnelson.com or amazon.com.
