By Vince Van Patten

Hey friends just wanted to share with you a piece of my life at the end of 2021.

We are all trying to stay healthy…following the science so to speak…and all is good.

Meanwhile, I’ve been injured for four months with a bad groin injury which I got playing paddle tennis a bit too intensely during the last year. 

Crazy thing about injuries, when they don’t heal for a while, you honestly start to think that they never will. But in the last couple weeks it’s taking a turn for the better and seems about 50% improved! 

Anyway,  my wife Eileen thought that it might be a great idea to build a pickleball court in our backyard, which she was interested in. She knows how much I love paddle tennis, ping pong, actually anything with a paddle, and I was up for something similar, but new! So I quickly said, “Let’s do it!”

Well, now the court is laid down (pic was before it was surfaced) and it has been a fantastic transition from tennis to paddle tennis and now to pickleball! 

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and I can see why. It’s easy to learn and anyone can play! The rallies are great,  it’s social, yet intense and after about five hours of getting a feel for it, I think I’m hooked. 

My goal in the next year is to play some of the professional senior (over 50) pickleball events and try to become one of the best of the old codgers! Believe it or not, there’s a little prize money in it too! 

I was top 25 in the world in  tennis. I was the national champion in paddle tennis. And now pickle ball is my athletic goal!