David Zapatka This 12 common mistakes column began after playing with some very excited and highly motivated new pickleball players at our community courts recently. After playing a couple games, this question was posed to me, “What should we do to improve and become 3.5 players?” We reviewed the first eight mistakes over the past…
Category: Sports
Sports, May 2021
Pop Tennis Turns Strangers into Friends
Paulette Kasperski Last January through March, SaddleBrooke residents, Fran Meckler and Carol Kula of the SaddleBrooke Tennis Club, arranged drop-in sessions of pop tennis on Sunday afternoons. Many people showed up to play for the first time—some as total beginners and others as former tennis and pickleball players. When the drop-in sessions ended, Stuart Watkins…
Sports, May 2021
Summer Is Coming
Marilu Trainor Whether it’s your first summer in Arizona or you are a seasoned veteran, it’s important to prepare for living (and surviving) in our desert climate. Although summer 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere will begin on June 20 and end on Sept. 22, the hotter weather arrives early in Arizona. It’s time to get…
Sports, May 2021
Beat the Heat
Marilu Trainor Multiple organizations including the National Weather Service, Arizona Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control have posted some important summer heat tips on their sites to help you keep your cool this summer. Why are Older Adults More Vulnerable? The CDC states older adults, those aged 65 and older, are particularly…
Sports, May 2021
Softball Managers Balance Winning With Fun
Terry Hurley Tim Ward is full of positive energy as he manages his SaddleBrooke senior softball team in their final game of the winter season last month. He shouts advice and encouragement from his outfield position, the third-base coaching box, and the dugout. “Hit that Longo sign in right center field,” he says to one of…
Sports, May 2021
SBWGA-18: Member/Member—It’s a Winner!
Venetia Hobson Lewis Back when the Food Network started up, I hankered for every show on it—Ace of Cakes, Alton Brown’s Good Eats, and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Going along with Guy Fieri to small cafes that served enormous and calorie-laden dishes just hit the spot. Many times Fieri would repeat the phrase “Winner, Winner,…
Sports, May 2021
Trap Skeet Competition
Frank Nance On March 12, the Robson communities held their annual trap skeet competition at the Casa Grande Trap and Skeet Club. The 2020 shoot was cancelled because of COVID-19. Sun Lakes won the 2021 shoot with a score of 346. PebbleCreek was second with a score of 331. Robson Ranch finished third with a…
Sports, May 2021
SaddleBrooke Lady Niners Enjoy Fun Golf Games
Wanda Ross The SaddleBrooke Lady Niners have fun golf games that add much to our enjoyment of golf. Every Tuesday morning, we golf in friendly nine-hole games at one of the three SaddleBrooke golf courses. We also have competitive tournaments, but our fun games are more creative and light-hearted and result in more laughter. Our…
Sports, May 2021
Founding Member of MPLN Is Moving
Eileen J. Snearly and Gerri Burnside After almost 30 years of teaching German and humanities, Gerri and her husband, Robert, decided to retire. Their younger son and family live in Chandler, and since Gerri grew up with mountains in Austria, Tucson was the place they chose. They moved to SaddleBrooke in January 2000. Gerri began…
Sports, May 2021
SaddleBrooke USTA Tennis Team Wins Tough Eight-Match Series
Jim Abrahamson, Captain The SaddleBrooke USTA tennis team won a tough eight-match series against a team from Green Valley. This earned them the right to represent Southern Arizona at USTA sectionals next December. A match consists of three doubles courts. The team got off to a rocky start and did not win a single court…