Andrea Molberg
This tournament season Brent Carlson has been bringing home medals—two golds, one silver and one bronze—in Men’s Doubles at the 4.5 skill level. The bronze was earned at a combined 5.0/4.5/4.0 level.
Partnered with Carl Tietze from Mesa, Brent earned Gold at the seventh annual East Valley Tournament in Mesa on November 15, 2017.
Partnered with Mark Robertson from Green Valley, the medals were Gold at Tucson Senior Olympic Festival in Tucson, 2/03/18; Silver at seventh annual Mission Royale Tournament in Casa Grande, 1/27/18 and Bronze at Green Valley Firefighters Tournament at Quail Creek in Green Valley, 2/10/18.
These are long days, if you make it to the medal rounds. The Gold/Silver match ends about eight hours from the time play starts and then you add in travel time. Brent and partners played 13 games each for gold and silver medals and 11 games for the bronze so the playing, waiting between matches, and trying to stay both loose and tuned takes quite a toll on the body. “It can actually feel like work some days and has been quite a challenge for my second knee which is to be replaced in March,” admits Brent.
Still, for Brent, the opportunity to compete supersedes the challenges. “Pickleball is an infectious game, and at the higher levels is a great combination of power, touch, and agility. The great thing about it is that people of all ages and skill levels can enjoy it immediately. It’s not hard to see why the sport is growing so fast.”
He’s learned “it ain’t over ‘til it’s over!” Several times this season Brent and his partner were down by several points and somehow pulled it out of the fire. At the Firefighters Tourney, they came back from 5-10 to win 15-12 in one match and from 4-12 to win 15-12 in another. They have fought out of the losers’ bracket to win gold and been beaten for gold by a team who came back from the losers’ bracket. “Never give up! I am thankful for those who have introduced me to pickleball and helped me improve my game, much of that thanks to SPA right here at SaddleBrooke, and look forward to ‘paying it forward’ in the future. It’s a great game!”
Brent currently serves as the Coordinator for SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association instruction and also teaches the 3.5 class for those wanting to advance to a 4.0 rating.