Irene D’Aloisio, President

What feels better than getting something? Giving something!

And the Sun Lakes Pickleball Club Cottonwood (SLPCC) is doing just that for school districts. A group of pickleball players from our Chandler area, led by Steve Manolis, USAPA Regional Ambassador, has been spending time with physical education teachers to teach them pickleball. This is so the teachers, in turn, can teach this game to their students.

But without equipment and places to play, students are having some trouble getting into this great sport. Municipalities are fixing the “places to play” part, and it’s coming along, however. Chandler, Tempe and Phoenix have built or are building pickleball courts. Gilbert is, too, within the next year, as well as even more courts that are coming in Tempe. But the bigger problem is equipment. So the call was put out, and the SLPCC heard. We gathered up pickleball paddles and equipment to donate to this good cause at the Grand Opening of the Pecos Pickleball Complex on April 21. Yes… it’s a really great feeling to make sure our sport gets shared with these students.

The sport is growing like crazy, as everyone knows. So, have you got paddles or balls you’d like to donate? SLPCC will see they get to the right place if you let us know about them. They don’t have to be in mint condition. Steve Manolis will see they get repaired. Contact Irene D’Aloisio, President, SLPCC, at [email protected] and we’ll make arrangements to get them.