"You didn't come this far to play cute."

Why I Keep Coming Back for More Pickleball

Why I Keep Coming Back

9/3/20262 min read

# Why I Keep Coming Back

I didn't expect pickleball to change my life. I just wanted something to do on a Tuesday night.

It was my friend Lisa who dragged me to the courts. "You'll love it," she promised. "It's like tennis, but easier on the knees." I was skeptical. I hadn't played any sport since high school gym class, and that ended with me face-down on the floor.

The first five minutes were humiliating. I swung and missed. I swung again and hit the ball so hard it flew into the next court, interrupting a very serious game. I apologized a hundred times. The woman just smiled and tossed the ball back. "Happens to everyone, honey. Keep going."

That was the moment I knew this was different.

You see, I'd been stuck in a routine—work, dinner, Netflix, repeat. Most of my friends had kids and busy lives. I had my cat and too much time to overthink everything.

Pickleball changed that.

I got hooked fast. I bought better shoes. Upgraded my paddle. Started watching YouTube tutorials at 11 p.m. instead of scrolling through Instagram. My non-pickleball friends thought I'd lost my mind. Maybe I had. But for the first time in years, I was excited about something.

The community was unexpected. I met women from all walks of life—lawyers, teachers, retirees, college students. We didn't care about each other's jobs or relationship status. We just cared about who could return a drive and who had the best post-game happy hour snacks.

I learned to laugh at myself. The first time I tried a drop shot, I tripped over my own feet and landed flat on my back. The ball bounced gently into the kitchen while I lay there looking at the sky. My partner came running over. I started laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. So did everyone else.

The losses teach you more than the wins. I've had games where absolutely nothing went right. One time, I served into the net nine times in a row. My partner looked like she was reconsidering our friendship. I wanted to quit and take up knitting. But I kept showing up.

When I'm on the court, I'm not thinking about my to-do list or the bills. I'm just present. In the moment. Laughing with women who get it.

I've made friends who will probably be in my life forever. We've celebrated birthdays and job promotions. We've cried on each other's shoulders in the parking lot.

Pickleball gave me a tribe.

I'm not the same person who showed up that first Tuesday. I'm more confident. Braver. I've learned that being a beginner is beautiful. I've learned that falling is part of the game.

So why do I keep coming back?

Because the court is where I feel most myself. Because the women I play with remind me that I'm stronger than I think. Because pickleball doesn't care who you are outside those lines—it just cares that you show up and try.

And I'm so glad I did.

— Fran Phoenix, Gorgeous Girls Pickleball