Pickleball, A Sport You Can Count On | AARP Pickleball Stories | APP Tour

 

The Transformative Power of Pickleball

Pickleball has become one of the fastest growing sports in recent years, providing community and purpose to thousands of players across the country. This was certainly true for Chris Powers, whose love of pickleball helped her through a devastating loss.

Chris' husband owned a company that facilitated the sale and purchase of professional sports teams. He sadly passed away, leaving Chris on her own at their farm. She fell into lonely days filled with routine chores like feeding the horses and dogs. However, finding pickleball filled a void and gave Chris' life new meaning.

Hands-On Work and Dedicated Training

Living on a farm kept Chris plenty active with manual labor like cleaning pastures. She focused on training to improve her pickleball skills, traveling to clinics nationwide. Chris relished the sport as both friendly and competitive, describing it as "chess on concrete." Her hard work showed, as she won numerous tournaments and medals in the senior divisions.

Building Bonds on the Court

Chris formed close friendships within the pickleball community, mentoring newer players like Amy. She also hosted camps at her own Two Sisters Farm, loving to see players experience breakthroughs in their game. For Chris, pickleball was about more than winning - it was about forming a tight-knit community.

She regularly invited groups of women to her farm for lessons and bonding. Chris emphasized how pickleball welcomed people of all skill levels, helping each other improve through shared passion. She felt immense satisfaction being able to pass on her love of the sport to others.

A Sense of Belonging

In the end, pickleball gave Chris so much more than a hobby - it gave her a renewed purpose and sense of belonging. She is deeply grateful to have found a supportive community when she needed it most. Chris highlights the unique power of pickleball to transform lives by bringing people together around a common interest. Her story shows how this fast-growing sport can create meaningful friendships and support systems.

For Chris, pickleball eased a difficult journey and will continue providing connection and joy for years to come. Her experience is a testament to the indelible bonds formed by those who share a love of the game.