It was 7/24 at 2AM-ish in the morning. I'm not sure why, maybe it was the anticipation of the day ahead, or maybe the ice cream right before bed, or maybe the fact that I went to bed really early hoping that tomorrow would come faster. I guess the reality is, all of the above added to the fact I was up way earlier than I needed to be. I didn't have to be up getting ready until 5AM, so I had plenty of time to think, as I laid there trying to go back to sleep. My mind was wandering through some personal issues I'm facing and some work related tasks, but mostly how extremely blessed I was to actually be having the opportunity of living out my dream. Pickle With Purpose (PWP) was just a distant thought, some would say it was only a dream. But for me, this dream was about to become a reality in 5 hours or so. The unfolding of this dream went as follows:
6:15 Pick up my partner, Amber.
6:17 Get totally shocked by the fact that Amber had made original PWP tee shirts the night before, unbeknownst to me! *Thanks Amber...You Are Amazing!!!*
6:18 - 7:13 Drive to Hillside (an organization that helps young people and their families navigate mental health challenges). Breakfast in the car on the ride. Talking about how we are going to run sessions.
7:30 - 8:45 Layout and tape down pickleball court lines.
9:00 - 3:30 We had multiple groups of youth come in throughout the day.
During each 45 minute session we started off meeting in the middle of the gym. We all had to introduce ourselves, say how we were feeling and if we have ever played or heard about pickleball. It was both encouraging and sad as we went around the circle. Some of the kids were feeling excited, neutral, or anxious, but some were sad and distant. I will admit, you can prepare all you want, but nothing ever gets you completely ready to be face to face with the reality of a hurting child.
After introductions we went over some basic rules and then we were on the courts. Some groups caught on fast and in no time they were serving and even had some volleys going. Other groups struggled some, not getting the hang of it. For those groups we just modified it, not being technical as far as pickleball lessons go, but it was fun and that's all we wanted to do for these kids - make it fun!
We ended each session back in the middle of the gym. We introduced ourselves again, shared how we felt and something we learned. It was so cool to have just seen how much fun they had on the courts, but it was amazing to hear them say how fun it was and that it was their new favorite sport. Most of them were happy now as they expressed their feelings, only a slight few still being sad or not happy.
What a blessing, privilege, and honor it was to take part in such an amazing opportunity to bring the sport of pickleball to these hurting kids. As I told my partner Amber, "It's not every day you can live out your dream".
Thank You Hillside for allowing us this great opportunity, for everything you do for the kids, and for documenting our day with pictures, videos, and social media posts. Thank You Billy and Donesha with Gray Contracting for volunteering. Thank You Amber for all your help and support, and the amazing tee shirts. Thank You to our donors and sponsors. It is your financial support that will continue to help us bring pickleball to those in need, helping them live their best lives.
If you would like to know more about Hillside and their mission you can visit their website. Pickle With Purpose will be donating nets, paddles, and balls to Hillside. If you would like to help us with that need you can shop our Amazon wishlist or send a gift through Venmo on our Donate page. You can also help Hillside directly through their Support page.
