Around Mogadore: Women renew friendships on the pickleball court
What do you do when you retire, yet still want to socialize with people and get in some good, healthy exercise? One option is to play pickleball. According to the USA Pickleball website, the game was created in 1965 by three men on Bainbridge Island, Washington, whose families complained that “there was nothing to do.” Joel Pritchard, congressman from Washington State, and Bill Bell, a successful businessman, improvised the game on an old tennis court on their property, starting with old badminton rackets, then switching to ping pong paddles, using a perforated plastic ball to hit back and forth. Their friend, Barney McCallum, was invited to play the next weekend, and the three men created rules for the game, relying heavily on the rules of badminton. Their goal was to find a game that the whole family could play together.
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In 1972, a corporation was formed to protect the creation of the new sport. The first pickleball tournament was held in 1976 in Washington state, and by 1990, the sport was played in all 50 states. In 2005, a new corporation, the USA Pickleball Association, was established. Locations found on the website’s Places2Play database map consisted of more than 4,600 places to play in 2016, with an increase in 2022 to 8,500 locations.
The game has renewed friendships for a group of Mogadore women. Gale Getz Podnar, Joanne Burnett Quillen, Kathy Datsko Crew, Linda Schoch Cook, and Stacey Kot Fair all graduated from Mogadore High School in the early 1970s, and have taken up the sport of pickleball. Sandi Emerick Tompkins, a Mogadore resident for 18 years, also plays with the group of women. Linda Cook, a retired letter carrier with the U.S. postal service, and Gale Podnar, who works part-time doing payroll and healthcare for Swiss Woodcraft, Inc., have been playing the longest, for seven and six years respectively. Sandi Tompkins, who is self-employed and works part-time, has been playing pickleball for the past two and half years. Joanne Quillen, who retired in real estate title insurance management, Kathy Crew, who retired as an STNA for Senior Helpers at St. Edwards, and Stacey Fair, who retired from management at Pier One Imports, have all been playing for a little over a year.
When Ohio weather works for them, they play at Waters Park, Tallmadge Lions Park, and at Boettler Park in Green. Inside courts are set up at the Wadsworth YMCA, the Barberton Y, and the Tallmadge Recreation Center, where they meet to hone their skills and challenge each other to a competitive but friendly game. The women will be able to add a new pickleball location in September. According to Mayor Mike Rick, pickleball courts, along with the tennis courts at the Mogadore Lions Park, will be available in the fall.
Stacey Fair enjoys the exercise and the friendly competition of the game, but she also enjoys meeting so many new people who play the sport. Kathy Crew said playing the sport has motivated her to do other work-out exercises as well. Joanne Quillen reflected that the most meaningful aspect of the game is how it’s brought her group of friends together again. She remarked that the benefits and love of the sport are secondary to the time she and her friends spend together. Get-togethers on court have led to reconnecting lunches where conversations include discussion about their pickleball games as well as talking about their families.
Sandi Tompkins started playing when she and her husband Robert received paddles and a net from a friend Max Kenngott. They enjoyed playing so much they created a court in their driveway and loved the friendly competition provided by family and friends. When Sandi’s husband passed away, she decided to continue playing because the two of them loved the game so much. Playing pickleball helped her get through a very difficult time of her life.
Gale Podnar likes the exercise and that the game encompasses players of all skill levels, so it’s easy to find someone who plays at the same level. Linda Cook emphasizes that playing the game has shown her that “just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean you are relegated to the couch.” Pickleball is a game that can be played no matter what your ability level is. Sandi Tompkins enjoys the “sisterhood” of the sport and the priceless friendships it fosters. All these players agree that the social aspects of pickleball are a plus; it reminds Gale Podnar of the Girl Scout song lyric, “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.”
Mogadore art students earn awards
The Summit County Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education held its annual arts and writing contest and several Mogadore art students won awards in the Visual Arts Division II category. Sophie Hiner, grade 12, was a first-place winner for her work entitled “Hatikvah" (The Hope). The third-place winner was Gia Difrancesco, grade 12, whose work was “Aftermath.” Tyler Andrews, grade 12, was a fourth-place winner in this same category whose work was titled, “White Noise.” Honorable mentions were awarded to Garrett Penix, grade 12, for his work, “Wings,” and to Kayla Wilson, grade 12, for her work titled “Lost.”
Congratulations to these Mogadore students whose outstanding artwork was recognized by the Council and displayed at the Akron-Summit County Public Library downtown Akron.
For Mogadore news, contact Barb Bauer at BarbBauerMog@gmail.com
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Around Mogadore: Women renew friendships on the pickleball court
