As a remote software engineer I tend to move around the country every couple of years. I relocated to Muncie in December 2021 because I have an old college roommate that lives in Yorktown and wanted to reconnect. Since I promised him I would not be a third wheel, I needed to find some local hobbies.
I had seen that the Northwest YMCA had pickleball and I thought I would check out the facility. I had been pretty lackadaisical about working out and the Northwest Y’s facility had a lot of great options to get me back into a regular workout routine. The Northwest Y had a great weightlifting and cardio room, basketball courts, and tennis courts which are all activities I was heavily involved with at one time.
There was also an introductory pickleball class that was held every Friday that I was really interested in attending. I signed up for a membership on a Tuesday and went to that intro class the following Friday and became hooked! As a former tennis player as well as someone who has played quite a bit of ping pong, I found pickleball to be the great hybrid of two sports that I loved. Somehow I think I love playing pickleball more than both of those sports combined.
Now the environment at my local Y has definitely lent to my quick immersion into the sport. The volunteer staff that help new players like myself learn the sport are extremely welcoming, very knowledgeable, and quick to point out your mistakes! (shout out to Mike, Bill, and Randy here).
The people that play weekly are the perfect mix of friendly and competitive. It makes coming to the court multiple times a week a pleasure and something to always look forward to. Of course with competition there can always be heated exchanges and losers that are sore, but any animosity is quickly forgotten.
The staff are great as well, from the resident tennis pro, Jacob, to all those that greet me walking in. They are extremely friendly and even jump on the courts every now and then (Sophie & Noah).
I have to thank the Y for reigniting the passion of sport and competition within me after it had been dormant for so long. Several times a week I come to the Y to socialize, compete, and get in a good workout; and it is great!