PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT RECAP

Signed up for a local doubles tournament on a whim. My buddy texted me Thursday night asking if I wanted in, and by Saturday morning we were warming up at 7:30am with coffees in hand and zero game plan.

First match was rough — we were still figuring out our positioning and communication. Kept getting in each other’s way on the kitchen line. But we scraped through in three games. The second match went smoother. We found our rhythm: I took the left side, he covered the right, and we started actually setting each other up instead of just reacting.

Made it to the semis before running into this husband-and-wife duo who had clearly been playing together for years. They had this silent communication thing going on — just looks and nods. We took the first game off them but they adjusted and shut us down in the next two. No shame in losing to a team that moves like one person.

Best part was the atmosphere. Everyone was competitive but cool about it. Lots of “nice shot” between points, people sharing water and snacks between games. Already signed up for the next one in March. This time we’re going to actually practice together beforehand. Revolutionary concept, I know.