Inclusive
Pickleball welcomes anyone and everyone to learn and enjoy the sport. Whether you are young or old, tall or short, rich or poor, walking on your feet or rolling on wheels, pickleball welcomes you and says “You can join this network. You can participate, benefit from, and contribute to this community.”
Pickleball not only accepts anyone and everyone, but it also encourages players of all types to play together. It is not uncommon to see high level players helping newbies, retirees playing against teenagers (and beating them), and children beating their parents.
Pickleball is also financially inclusive; it doesn’t take a lot of money to start playing. You can buy a pair of starter paddles for $20-$30. If you can’t afford that, just show up at a local court and I guarantee someone with an extra paddle will loan it to you, teach you the rules, play with you, and invite you back.
Passion
There is no passion like that of a Bitcoiner who has fully gone down the rabbit hole, except possibly for someone that has been bitten by the pickleball bug. See if any of this sounds familiar:
They watch videos, match replays, read articles and listen to anyone that can teach them about the game.
They constantly tell their friends how the game is fun, challenging and energizing.
They talk about how their physical, mental and social lives have been improved by the game.
They travel far and wide to find courts and instruction. Anything to be able to play more and improve.
They say pickleball is life.
They play and play and they can’t get enough. You only need to hear the collective groans of 20+ people when the court lights shut off at 10 p.m. to know that pickleball is more than just another form of exercise.
Gradually, Then Suddenly
Parker Lewis’s perfectly named series has taught us that change happens gradually, then suddenly. Pickleball has grown from summer vacation family pastime to the fastest growing sport in the United States. Tennis courts, roller hockey rinks, and even basketball courts are being converted to pickleball courts everywhere, and demand is moving up and to the right. Multiple professional leagues have been started, with teams recently being formed by major celebrities like Lebron James and Tom Brady (Golden). Major networks are starting to pick up coverage of pickleball events, like the Celebrity Pickleball Challenge that recently aired on CBS (Webb). Venues for incorporating pickleball into other industries are springing up, like Chicken and Pickle and The Pickle Bar . Pickleball clubs and meetups are starting up everywhere and growing fast. Even Michael Saylor has a court at his house. The FOMO is real.
No matter where you are from or where you are, if you meet a fellow pickleball player you often become fast friends. There is simply an understanding among players that if you share a love for pickleball you will likely have enough in common to get along. I have met and played with people from all over the world. Even in situations where we didn’t speak the same language, we could still communicate on the court and have a great time. Like Bitcoiners, pickleball players are givers. They freely give their time, their knowledge, and their help to anyone who wants to learn the game or improve their play.
One of the things I love most about both the Bitcoin and pickleball communities is that its stars and celebrities are approachable (rules, not rulers). Max Keiser, Cory Klippsten, and Marty Bent will gladly have real conversations with plebs like me at a conference, meetup, or event. Likewise, world class players like Steve Kennedy, Kyle Yates, and Anna Leigh Waters will play pickup games with amateurs like me and shoot the breeze about the latest happenings in the pickleball world.
Conclusion
Luckily, unlike Neo, you don’t have to choose between the orange and the yellow pill. You can take both, and by doing so discover a new world that embraces the same values that make our Bitcoin community so special. You will also find a whole new group of precoiners to potentially orange-pill. So, pick up a paddle and head to a pickleball court near you and remember … stay humble, stack sats and respect the net!
Additional Info / Resources:
To find pickleball courts in your area, click here .
To find Bitcoin meetups in your area, click here .
Coming to Bitcoin 2023 in Miami? Be on the lookout for satellite pickleball event information, including a pre-conference clinic to be hosted by world class professional players and coaches. Visit the conference website for more info about pickleball and other satellite events.
Want to see a few more great pickleball points? click here .
To learn more about pickleball’s origin story, click here .
This is a guest post by Hector Alvero. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine
