Since I first introduced my small community to pickleball in 2017, I've made several reports to our City Council along the way.  This past Council Meeting (November 15, 2022) included the most recent report.  I made a point to again thank them for their support and notified them of continued growth of the sport in our town. I also added information of a new group in the community that we were inviting to participate.  The following is the major part of that report.

"...I am thankful for the encouragement and support we have felt from the Roundup City Council since pickleball came to town in August, 2017.  Initially, when we started playing pickleball at the City Park tennis courts, we had to purchase and lay down blue tape to make the pickleball court.  

     "However, after we made several reports to the Council about how the growth of the game was increasing over the past several years, the Mayor and Council offered to provide paint and equipment to shadow-line a pickleball court on the north tennis court.  No more worrying now about our court blowing away in the wind.

     "I also want to let you know that the number of pickleball players has now increased into the 20's.  It is not always easy to share one indoor pickleball court at the Community Center.  Thankfully, even with disagreements, we are able to get it done.

     "We currently have three different skill levels who play.  The original group that I started has now the longest-playing participants and the most competitive.  The second group that I also started is also increasing in size and they also play competitively; they just aren't willing to do whatever it takes to hit a ball.  They are somewhat more cautious.

     "The third group is new.  Focus for the sport has now turned to another population in Roundup who can benefit from learning the game.  There is no reason that only school students or adults with athletic skills should be able to learn pickleball.  It's a new sport, invented in 1965 for the whole family.  Pickleball is easy to learn; it's fun to play; it improves one's health; and it builds new relationships.

     "Pickleball can also adapt to older players, and players who are not in perfect physical shape.  Like our 80+ population and those who may not be as steady on their feet as they would like.  This group has three participants:  one 80-year-old, one 84-year-old, and one 88-year-old.  (Another 80-year-old plays with the second group.)  I've also gotten a phone call from a woman with Parkinson's.  When I explained we were approaching this effort with adapting the game to us, she sounded encouraged.  When she worried about not feeling stable, I mentioned the walker we were using --- she sounded somewhat relieved.  

     "A friend in Billings shared the following story with me:

            'I still remember having a man who needed to take breaks in our pickleball game so he could take in some oxygen from a bottle he kept at the net.  We of course stopped the game so he could do so.  There was no pressure on him to hurry at all.  We were delighted that he was able to play.  He did pass away a year later.  However, he did enjoy his pickleball.  He played with his wife as a partner.'

     "We can use your help.  We can use simple walkers with tennis balls on their 'feet'.  We can use more players who would like to learn but may feel skittish.  They are invited to observe or try out our ways of working together.  We would like to see more of our community become involved in pickleball that adapts to their needs.

     "Thank you."

(On my way out, a Board Member stopped me to give the name of a business in town that may have several walkers available.)

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