A few years ago, The Houstonian hired pickleball pro, Joe Nguyen, which was the first time I learned about "pickleball.” The name of the sport piqued my interest. But not in a: "Hey, I want to try this game” kind of way. It was more like: "That is a weird name for a sport.”; "Is that a plastic wiffle ball?”; "What will my fellow tennis pros think if they saw me playing this game?”; "That’s just ping pong on a larger court.”; and the negative thoughts continued.
I must admit that it took me about three years before I finally picked up a paddle to play. It wasn’t until we hired another pickleball pro, Bobbie Phoumy, that I decided to try it out. I guess the years of Joe and Bobbie promoting the sport finally wore me down.
The first time I played I didn’t have the best experience since I started with a low-quality paddle and couldn’t get a real feel of the ball coming off the paddle. But the next time I played, I was able to get my hands on a high-quality paddle. What a difference it made!
I was instantly hooked and couldn’t wait until the next time I could play. I started playing almost every day and invited my spouse and all my friends to play. They fed off of my excitement and enthusiasm, becoming lovers of pickleball as well.
It’s been a wonderful privilege at the Club to fuel my passion by teaching others, helping them improve, and growing their love of pickleball every time they step on the court.
I’ve witnessed many Houstonian Club Members recently become active in racquet sports at the Club. Some have dusted off their court shoes and have reignited their passion for sports. On the other hand, we’re also seeing a huge influx of new Members playing a sport for the first time in their lives. The growth cannot be denied or dismissed. Pickleball has arrived and it’s here to stay. I am excited that our Houstonian leadership is in discussion about adding pickleball courts in the future!