by Denise Werner
Several years ago women’s ministry gathered women of the church together to introduce them to pickleball. Many of the women who attended those sessions had never played pickleball previously. Women discovered then it was either something they wanted to continue or it was not for them.
From those sessions, women’s ministry pickleball evolved to be scheduled on the first and third Friday mornings of the month in Calvary’s gym. The gym allows us to set up and play on 3 courts simultaneously.
Our motto is “Fun and Fellowship”. It is a great time of connecting with other women from Calvary with a variety of ages and stages of life. It is a comfortable place to invite friends. We make the game fun and non-competitive, we welcome beginners and support and encourage everyone as we play. It is a good way to get exercise while enjoying yourself; keeping your body moving and your mind stimulated. The gym allows for temperature control which is great on very cold winter days and in the hot summer.
We meet from 9:00 – 11:00. Most of us are there the entire time, but you can arrive and leave as necessary, whatever your schedule allows.
Here are thoughts from 4 of the players:
- “Besides the exercise, one of the reasons I enjoy Friday morning pickleball is because I’ve been able to get to know a group of women I wouldn’t normally have otherwise. Many began this class as beginners, and it’s been fun to see how far we’ve all progressed. I like that we play for fun, and I hear a lot of encouragement between players on how well they played even if someone scored a point off of them because the other person had a really good serve or return. It’s been a good opportunity for me to keep honing my pickleball skills while making friends along the way.”
- “For me, having the drop-in pickleball opportunity has been beneficial in two ways. First, it has allowed me to learn this game in a very non-threatening way. Second, it has allowed me to get to know some of the women at Calvary. I look forward to participating whenever my schedule allows.”
- “I have really enjoyed Friday women’s pickleball as we are more about the fun and fellowship than about who wins or loses. I feel like I have improved much more than I would have with a super competitive group as I feel free to try a new move even if I fail at the attempt. I have never considered myself very athletic, but everyone is always so encouraging whether I am having a good day on the courts or a not-so- good day. Almost all of us were brand new to pickleball when we started a year and a half ago and it fun to see how much we have all improved as a group over that amount of time. But…we all remember what it was like when we started and are always looking for new ladies who would like to try out pickleball and learn with us. You don’t need to be very athletic to join us…just have a willingness to learn, have some fun and get a little exercise.”
- “You can learn to play if you have never played. You can practice and improve in a non-threatening situation. It is fun and relieves stress. Women encourage one another as we play and between matches.”
We welcome you to join us on the first and third Friday mornings of the month, 9:00 – 11:00 in the Calvary gym. We welcome beginners and are willing to teach you how to play if needed. If you have any questions, please contact me or any other players.
