Mary Klootwyk Members of the SaddleBrooke Squares Dance Club square-up on the dance floor on Sunday evenings and during the week they paddle-up on the pickleball courts. Pickleball and Square Dance Connection Across America, two fast-growing activities are bringing people together for fun, fitness, and friendship: pickleball and square dancing. At first glance, the two…
David Zapatka There’s something audacious about the name. Pickleball. Say it out loud. You can’t help but grin. It turns out that is exactly the point! Millions of people are discovering that a paddle, a whiffle-like ball, and a court the size of a badminton court can do something that gyms and wellness apps cannot.…
Gary Pelphrey I came to pickleball looking for exercise. I stayed because it turns out getting humbled by a wiffle ball is surprisingly good for the soul. Five years later, I own more paddles than I care to admit, know the difference between a Dink and an Erne, and I’ve discovered something unexpected: pickleball has…
David Zapatka The dink is pickleball’s most nuanced shot, deceptively simple to learn, endlessly deep to master. While beginners treat it as a stopgap between rallies, advanced players weaponize it. Here’s how to transform your dinking game from passive to dominant. Elite dinks share three qualities. They land in the kitchen, stay low over the…
Gary Pelphrey According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), pickleball continues to experience significant national growth, increasing 479% from 2020 to 2025. Participation has expanded faster than any major recreational sport in America, with additional investment interest highlighted by recent reports of a $225 million investment in pickleball-related ventures by Apollo Sports Capital,…
Dale Dillon Lips Did you know that line dancing is the ultimate cross-training partner for your favorite sports? Whether you’re into pickleball, tennis, golf, biking, swimming or hiking, the dance floor is a secret weapon that can keep you agile, focused, and injury-free. Here is how trading your sneakers for dance shoes can level up…
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…