Why Should I Play Pickleball?

There are many reasons why pickleball is so popular – it’s easy to learn, it’s low-impact, it can be played with two people or four, it’s fun and very social, and good for you. Pickleball used to be considered a sport for seniors because those who have knee, hip, shoulder, or other limitations are still able to play, but now schools are teaching the game to kids and middle schoolers in gym class and recess. And because you can get four pickleball courts in the space of a tennis court, you are closer to one another and able to chat to other players. Many pickleball players have credited the game with their friends, their health, and even with saving their lives.

What Do I Need to Play Pickleball?

The equipment for pickleball is affordable and readily available. The paddles and balls can be found at Walmart, Target, any sporting goods store, or Amazon. Of course, they come in all price ranges, but you can get two paddles and four balls at Walmart for $15.99.

So do you think this would this be a great chance for your older mom or dad to stay mobile, work on their strength and balance, and stay socially active too? Is it an activity both you and your grandkids might enjoy? Are you interested in quickly meeting new friends of all ages and finding connections while burning some calories? Well, yes, you might answer, but how do I start? Do they even play pickleball in southwest Ohio?

Where Can I Play Pickleball in Southwest Ohio?

There are hundreds of places to play pickleball in our area. And more pickleball courts are popping up all the time. An amazing and easy-to-use site to find both free and fee-based courts in any area is pickleheads.com. Most parks now have free pickleball courts, but here is a list of some parks in the larger city areas:

Dayton:

• Huber Community Park

• Helke Park

• Activity Center Park

• Vandalia Pickleball Courts

• Dominick Lofino Park

• Kennedy Park

• Schoolhouse Park

Columbus:

• Jeffrey Park

• Degenhart Park

• Bevelhymer Park (16 courts!)

• Center Green Park

• Beulah Park

• Blue Limestone Park

• Roger Reynolds Park

Richmond, IN:

• Clear Creek Park

Troy:

• Duke Park

Springfield:

• Snyder Park

• Global Impact STEM Academy

• Clark State College, Main Campus

If you find yourself having so much fun you want to play through the winter, most Y’s and rec centers (Kroc Center, Washington Township, Huber Heights, etc.) have indoor courts. Some require a membership to play and some a small fee.

There are many Facebook pickleball groups where you can find out about open play or tournament opportunities, but you can just grab a friend, head out to your local park, and give it a try!

The post Your Pickleball Questions Answered appeared first on Hope 100.7.

I generally don’t go looking for news about soccer, but lately it seems to be all around us. Famous actors buy struggling teams and turn them into winners, Hollywood produces a show about an American coaching a “futbawl” team in England, and David Beckham, most likely until recently the only professional soccer player you could name, was able to realize his dream of bringing perhaps an even more famous soccer player, Lionel Messi, to the United States to play for his team in Miami.

I’m old enough that I don’t care. Well, that sounds harsh, but what I mean is that soccer wasn’t a thing when I was growing up. I do remember, in gym class, getting mimeographed copies (remember those?) explaining the positions on a soccer team and sample plays, and then standing out on the soccer field for the entire gym class. . . standing. It seemed as if about three people actually played soccer, and the rest of us stood there in the backfield waiting for our chance to touch the ball.

But now soccer has managed to work its way into our lives. Movies, popular culture, and money all played into that, but soccer doesn’t require a lot of equipment and you can play it on just about any field, making it a fairly cheap sport to play. Many of our kids and grandkids most likely are on some sort of soccer team and they probably understand the game more than we ever will and will look up to these players that are now all over TV and the internet.

Which brings me back to the US Women’s team. I don’t know if I have a warped newsfeed or not, but I would guess half of the stories I have seen about the team and the World Cup have to do more with political and I’ll call them cultural issues than with soccer. Several players on the team are using their status and world-wide platform right now to push for what they think is a beneficial change, and in our current culture, that is what makes the news.

I don’t know if we’ll ever go back to sports just being sports, but even if we don’t, we can celebrate the fact that God gave some people an incredible amount of athleticism and talent. And the women on this team took that gift and developed it with hard work and practice. They stood out in the sun and rain, day after day, waiting for their chance to touch the ball.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

Sign up to receive more hope from HOPE 100.7 via email.

The post Who Is on the US Women’s Soccer Team? appeared first on Hope 100.7.

Why do we care?

Why do we care so much? It is estimated that Americans will bet about $15.5 billion on this year’s NCAA tournament (right there is your madness). We care with our money. And we care with our time. Many of us will be checking scores during the day and staying up late watching games at night. None of us have a chance of actually participating in these games. It’s been a long time since most of us were twenty. Or tall. Or athletic…. So what gets us so involved?

Unity

I’m sure there are many reasons, but let’s talk about two. I think one reason is that we feel involved. We feel like we are a part of the games, and we feel like we are participating with other fans even if it is only through the television or our phone. Remember how dreary it was to watch the Olympics during Covid with no fans in the stands? A sense of unity and togetherness is important for us not just for how we feel, but for how much we care about something. If this were a March Madness devotional, I might mention here that perhaps the Bible, in telling the body of Christ to work together in unity, is on to something.

Hope

A second reason we care so much is because of the power of hope. We know how strong hope is. We hope for all kinds of things. A better job, better health, better relationships. And at this time of the year, we hold out hope that the other team will lose and our team will win, even if we are a fifteen-point underdog. And if not this year, then next. We long for, we hope for, something that sometime might happen. I understand there are still Cleveland Browns fans.

But because many of you will be disappointed again this year when your team doesn’t win, I want to leave you with a bit of real hope. The Bible speaks of a sure hope, a real hope based not on something that might happen, but something that did happen. Jesus Christ has already made it possible, by His death and resurrection, for us to know and have a relationship with God, to have our sins forgiven, and to spend eternity with Him.

If your team wins this year, celebrate and enjoy the happiness that brings, but even more, remember to rejoice in the victory won by Jesus for you.

The post March Madness – Why Do We Go Mad? appeared first on Hope 100.7.