We agree with Delray Beach, Pickleball is Life, and what fun we had playing in our first-ever tournament. As I posted last month in https://myretirementstories.com/practice-pickleball/, we did practice a lot beforehand. The tournament is now behind us, and I am happy to report that we did well. We had a wonderful weekend with our good friends Cilla and Jeff. Cilla and I played in Women’s Doubles, 3.0, 60 – 69+. Bill played with Jeff in 3.0, 60 – 69+ also. Then, on Sunday, we all played Mixed Doubles.
Women’s Doubles
I wish Women’s Doubles were played on Day #2 when our nerves would have calmed down. After all, this was my very first tournament. Our first match went quickly, and we lost 0-2 to the team that took Bronze. Our first match in the Loser’s Bracket was much better, and we won 15-8! The next match was tough; we lost 9-15. Cilla and I played much better with our husbands/partners the next day.
Men’s Doubles
Bill & Jeff had a great day on Saturday, winning their first match in three games. They lost the second match and moved on to the Opportunity Bracket. They won the first match, 15-4; they won the second match, 15-10; and they lost the third, 7-15, to the men who won Gold. The team that beat them in their second match won Silver. Pretty impressive showing for Bill’s first tournament!
Mixed Doubles
No medals, but Bill and I had a fun day. We won our first two matches 2-0; then we lost the 3rd to a lovely couple, Giselle and Mario, from Montreal, Canada. They spoke little English, so I had to draw on my rusty French. I had some fun with their cheering crowd of Canadians, trying to get them to cheer for us as well! We won the first game 11-7, lost the second 11-9, and they beat us in the third 11-2, winning the match. Giselle and Mario got hot just as Bill and I made several unforced errors; that’s how fast the game can turn.
That put us into the Opportunity Bracket. Unfortunately, we lost a tight match, 16-14, to the couple that also beat Jeff and Cilla to win the Bronze Medal. Giselle and Mario won the Silver. It made me feel better that the teams that beat us were Medal winners!
Back to Rec Play
I learned a lot, getting ready for Pickleball is Life, my first tournament. We all made time to drill early each morning and focused on dinking and drop shots. Returning quickly to a ready position, with the paddle out front and soft knees, made a big difference in my game. Returning to Key Largo, I can tell I am playing much better. Will we play more tournaments? Time will tell, but we always pack our paddles when we take our Airstream on the road, and I am comparing our calendar with tournament dates.
Maybe we’ll see you on the road or in an upcoming Pickleball Tournament!