REGION — Pickleball could have inspired the book “Younger Next Year,” written by Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge, M.D. As two devoted players share their experiences below, you judge if the sport resonates with the title of this book.

In Sullivan County, NY, there is a group of seniors (who might debate that description), with an age range from their 60s to their 80s, who have caught the pickleball mania bug. 

“When I play, I don’t think of myself as old—it makes me feel good,” said Bill Bolte, a North Branch, NY resident and avid player along with his wife Gail. His personal goal is to continue getting better as he seeks a higher level of difficulty. Rating himself as a 4.0 on a scale of 1 to 5 (some pros might exceed that number), Bolte believes developing these personal goals is a major asset to life and enjoyment of the sport.

He finds the competition exhilarating, particularly the dinking and the intensity that goes on in the area closer to the net—known as the kitchen. Playing people in their 20s and 30s, according to Bolte, makes him feel as if he’s the age of his fellow players.

Bolte’s introduction to the sport occurred about eight years ago, when one of his wife’s tennis friends suggested it. At that time he thought the name sounded “corny,” but was compelled to start playing when his wife started playing. As Bolte said, “She basically said, ‘Come play or forfeit dinner.’” 

Although he was hooked from the first game, he still thinks the name sounds “wimpy.”

Bolte also enjoys the socialization amongst players; with two players on each side, it creates more camaraderie. Both he and Gail travel with their paddles and find it easy to meet other players. “You know right off the bat if the chemistry is right with the person playing on your side,” he said. 

Perhaps the best proof of that is when they entered the New York State Empire senior pickleball games, and both won gold medals playing with people in their respective age groups.

Playing pickleball confers many benefits: it's great exercise, a way to socialize and might even make you feel younger.

Locally Bolte plays at the six-court Roscoe Mountain Club in Roscoe, NY. The steep road up to the club there is well worth the beauty of outdoor playing, according to him, and games typically go through November. 

Other outdoor courts are at Bethel Park in Bethel, NY and indoors at the Dr. Duggan Community Center in White Lake, NY as well. You can also find an outdoor game at the Delaware Youth Center in Callicoon, NY.

Getting players involved and coordinating schedules has Bolte using the app Team Reach, which facilitates managing and communicating with other pickleball players and can easily be joined by entering a group code. It does require that you know someone in a particular TeamReach group to give you the code. Then players can sign up at the designated courts.

At 78, Bolte is probably as excited as the 12-year-old he recently partnered with and about whom Bolte said, “was phenomenal.” His partner may have been thinking the same.

Next up is Jane Ott, who absolutely loves tennis as well as racquet sports in general. Her pickleball experience started during COVID, when she had a court painted on her driveway, added a portable net and was hooked at first play. 

Ott said she feels that because young and old can participate, pickleball is so inclusive. That it is available in older communities makes the social aspect a real plus.

Ott also reflected on the use of the brain where you need to make quick decisions on your shots. She said pickleball is faster-paced than tennis, similar to racquetball. Completely undeterred by all this, Ott commits to playing five to six times per week and two to three hours per day. 

“It changed my life in a good way—finding balance,” she said. She enjoys challenging games and is at a 4.0 level, and loves playing with younger people. Given that players are 40 percent women and 60 percent men, there are plenty of people with whom to play.

Dividing her time playing in both New York and PA, on both inside and outside courts, Ott uses TeamReach to connect with other players. In addition to Roscoe and Bethel, Ott also plays at The Hideout in Lake Ariel, PA—The Hideout is private—and at Dropshots in White Mills, PA, just to keep rotating the circuit. 

Most places have a daily charge although as a member at Dropshots, she gets four hours per month free.

For those in the learning phase, Ott recommends going to clinics. The Dropshots Club has what they call cucumber classes, designed to help new players learn the rules, skills and strategy of play. 

At 63, her schedule is packed although she honors her knee by wearing a brace to keep it from swelling. Nevertheless, Ott is in it to win it for the long haul.

For me, living the pickleball-wife life at the moment is definitely only vicarious. My husband Jordan actually brought home that book mentioned in the beginning and like many others was on the journey from racquetball to tennis to pickleball as he aged. His hand-eye coordination and speed make him a force to be reckoned with on the court, as both Bill and Jane can attest. While his intense play goes on, particularly in the “kitchen” on the court—make no mistake that my kitchen is out of bounds.

Pickleball has actually been around since the 1960s, when three friends on Bainbridge Island, WA devised the game and established rules initially just to entertain their families. 

And as they say, “the rest is history.”