This has been a depressing stretch for Landings Club picklers. First, unseasonably cold weather settled over Camp Skidaway, driving even the heartiest denizens away from the courts. Then came the snow. Two, or was it three, inches of icy snow caused the Club to temporarily suspend operations including pickleball, and a dark mood fell over Franklin Creek. For several days cabin fever set in, and no amount of wine, Tito’s, gummies or Xanax helped. Then the sun came out, bringing with it warmer weather, and the snow began to melt. Assuming the ice didn’t damage the courts, Franklin Creek will once again echo the sound of contented picklers, and all will be well with pickle world.
Before I continue, I need to make two corrections. First, Backward Looking, my first article of the year, focused in part on the numbers of pickleball players New Neighbors feeds into the rapidly growing Landings Club program. I mistakenly wrote that they played on Sundays. I clearly didn’t edit well enough, as the group meets on Saturdays on courts nine through fourteen from 10:45-12:45. Second, my last article, Younger By The Month, reviewed all of the Franklin Creek events scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. I inadvertently omitted the Men’s and Women’s Doubles Club Championships, which are scheduled for March 15th and 16th.
As we all know, there are magazines for just about every sport we play at The Landings. Enthusiastic pickler Marilyn Brady recently introduced me to Pickleball Magazine, which unlike most magazines devoted to the sport, is an old-fashioned print publication. The magazine, which launched in 2016, is recognized by USA Pickleball as the sport’s “Official Magazine.” According to their website, “Each issue of Pickleball Magazine offers tournament coverage, expert instruction, rules, profiles with top pros, pickleball destinations, the latest pickleball news in the U.S. and around the world, new equipment and more.” The magazine is published six times a year and covers everything from professional instruction to tournaments, pickleball vacation destinations and advertisements, including one of Matthew McConaghy and his wife baring their arses (or nearly so) for Pantalones Reposado tequila. If you’re a pickleball news junkie, you might want to grab a copy.
Finally, pickleball health benefits are in the news again. As has been reported, there are many positive reasons, mental as well as physical, to play pickleball. According to Dan Buettner who studies longevity, pickleball is the best sport for extending a person’s life expectancy. Buettner, a journalist, studies longevity in the “Blue Zone,” places around the world where people live extraordinarily long and healthy lives.
A study by the Mayo Clinic suggests that individuals who play tennis regularly may have life expectancies that are ten years longer than those who don’t. Buettner believes pickleball is even better. In a recent Instagram post he stated, “I think the sport that adds the most years to your life expectancy is pickleball. Why? Well, it’s a racquet sport, but because it’s also easy to learn and constantly social.” So, if you are looking for the Fountain of Youth, it might just be found on the pickleball courts.