Evelyn Wiltshire Pickleball’s roots date back to 1965 when three Washington State dads created it as a fun backyard game for their kids. It remained under the radar as a mainstream sport for many years, apart from retirement communities in Florida and Arizona, until it burgeoned in popularity nationwide between 2010 and 2019. During this…
Corey Loyd Teams from the SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) delivered solid performances in the Arizona Pickleball Players League (APPL) 2026 Winter Season Championships this past month. Following a competitive two-month season ended in mid-March, two of SPA’s 12 teams advanced to the championships in their respective flights. The SPA 3.0 Men’s Doubles 65 plus team,…
David Zapatka Wind is the great equalizer on the pickleball court. It doesn’t matter how polished your dink game is or how powerful your drive is; a stiff breeze can turn your best shots into unforced errors in a hurry. The good news is that with a few smart adjustments, you can use the wind…
Corey Loyd Pickleball players from the SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) competed in their final matches of the Arizona Pickleball Players League (APPL) Winter Season, which ends the second week of March. The season kicked off in January with teams competing in flights based on players’ skill and age divisions. Competition included men’s, women’s, and mixed…
Larry Mazin SaddleBrooke is one of those rare places where nighttime still means nighttime. No street lights, no glare—just stars, silence, and the occasional deer strolling by as if it owns the place (which, frankly, it probably did first). Many residents enjoy evening walks, which are healthy, neighborly, and highly encouraged. However, after dark, some…
David Zapatka Spin is one of the most underrated game-changing skills. While beginners often focus on simply getting the ball over the net, intermediate and advanced players know that adding spin can create awkward bounces, force errors, and open up the court. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your offensive tools or add finesse to your…
That’s not something any of us ever want to hear, but one morning at the SaddleBrooke pickleball courts, that urgent shout became a wake-up call for Bill Gray, vice president of the SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA). Bill realized it had been more than 30 years since he last thought about CPR. If that was true…
Evelyn Wiltshire Every sport has at least one “we learned this the hard way” rule, created to uphold the true spirit of the game. Baseball’s Infield Fly Rule prevents infielders from intentionally dropping an easy pop-up to force multiple outs. In football, the Fair Catch Rule protects the returner after signaling for a fair catch.…
Shawne Cryderman The new storage shed is built and already in use. Sponsorship of the shed was initiated by Dr. Sven Sandeen and Dr. Elizabeth Lee of Sandeen & Lee Plastic Surgery. Their practice offers a wide range of cosmetic, reconstructive, and hand surgery, including carpal tunnel. Dr. Lee contacted SPA, inquiring what her business…
Dee Berisha Women On Our Own (WOOO) welcomes in a new year never missing a beat. A review of our membership and the year 2025 in the rearview mirror reflects ups and downs, joys and sorrows, wonder and dismay, challenges and victories. Medical diagnoses met head on, death of loved ones, births of new generations,…