My First Time Playing Pickleball Series - Part 1
With the sport of pickleball exploding across almost all age ranges, we thought it would be interesting to talk to different beginners just getting into the sport about their experiences. Told through their voices, this is the first in our new series that highlights the journeys of players getting into pickleball and hopefully provide tips for other new comers.
Author bio:
My name is Alana Fullen and I just graduated from Centre College with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Spanish. During my time at Centre, I had experience with media and marketing while studying abroad in Merida, Mexico! I am really excited to continue playing pickleball with my friends and family!
As a recent college graduate and student athlete, figuring out how to stay active while entering the workforce has been on my mind. I am currently working as an intern for an ad agency where I was first introduced to the game of pickleball. Before this internship, I had not heard of it before, and I am enjoying learning more about it each day. I mean come on, there could be worse things to do as an intern and pickleball might just be the answer to my problems!
Before actually going to the pickleball court I had some preconceptions on how the experience was going to be. I was expecting to be able to pick it up quickly since I played a sport my whole life. I was able to figure it out quickly but I’m by no means an expert or pro at pickleball (yet).
The rules are also confusing so I was worried that not understanding them fully would prevent me from playing the game to its full potential considering I am used to playing games by the rules, they were created for a purpose after all. Specifically, the “kitchen” rules confused me the most before actually playing but it made more sense as we got further into the match.
While playing pickleball I was immediately aware of how fun it is! I kept looking for the next opportunity to serve again and be able to score. I realized how important it is to have control of your paddle and your feet so that you are always ready for the return. The “return and run” tactic from Pickleball University is one that I am excited to become a pro at.
So, comparing my preconceptions of pickleball to actually playing the game I realized that I learned a lot about the game and myself. I learned how the rules on a piece of paper actually play out in a live game, so they were definitely easier to understand after playing.
It was also immediately obvious how light the ball is, so you don’t have to hit it as hard as you might want to.
Overall, my experience as a first time pickleball player was enjoyable and I would say successful! I learned how to play the sport and learned how I can get better when I go play again, because there will definitely be a next time!
I would also advise any other beginning players to go into it seeking fun and not trying to be perfect off the bat, because it really is a fun game that is honestly more fun as you learn to play.
I may not be a student athlete anymore, but pickleball is definitely the sport that will take up my free time from now on!
