Passing Down the Love of Pickleball

Michigan Players Write Children’s Pickleball Book

Admittedly, pickleball has a reputation as being an older person’s sport. But efforts have been increasingly growing to introduce the popular game to the younger generation. And the efforts are proving to be successful. 

One such endeavor has been undertaken by Jackie Freeman and Karen Worthy. Freeman is an avid pickleball player living in Onsted, a village in the Irish Hills area of Michigan, whose professional background spans twenty years in early childhood education. Worthy has competed in various pickleball tournaments, including every U.S. Open, and is a founding board member of the Jackson Area Pickleball Association of Michigan. Together they have written a children’s picture book, “Bend Your Knees, Louise!” that introduces the rules and terms of pickleball to youth. The book was illustrated by award-winning artist Kevin Fales of Dexter.

“One day Karen asked me why there are no children’s books about pickleball when it is the fastest growing sport in America,” said Freeman. “She asked why we weren’t introducing pickleball to younger people. So together we wrote a children’s book doing just that. We wrote it in rhythm to make it kid-friendly and included fun facts and terms so that anyone of any age can get a sense for what this sport is. Other children’s books might reference pickleball but they don’t teach the sport like this one does.”

The pickleball players-turned-authors are now regularly invited to elementary schools, middle schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, libraries and other organizations to talk about the book and about pickleball.

“We bring our pickleball paddle and nets with us,” said Freeman. “We’ve had a few schools that have used this sport as their paddle sport in the high school and middle school curriculum. The school systems are beginning to see the value of pickleball. This is a sport that is intergenerational.”

One of the Top 5 in the world in women’s professional pickleball is 16-year-old Anna Leigh Waters.  She went pro when she was 12 and became the youngest professional pickleball player in history. 

“Anna was introduced to the sport by her grandmother and plays competitively with her mother,” said Freeman. “When you talk about the future, she is it, and there are much younger players that are right on the horizon, you can find them on youth pickleball forums.

“I came into the sport as an older person, I had never played racquetball and I went to high school before Title IX so we did not have girls organized sports like we do today, there were only activities like co-ed softball with church leagues that were available.”

There are now multiple pickleball organizations and clubs throughout the state that offer programs for youth, such as the Southeast Michigan Pickleball Forum. 

“Stephanie Asher Dabbs is the Forum’s facilitator and she does a tremendous amount of publicity within our state,” said Freeman. “The USA Pickleball Association has a youth program in which Karen and I are youth ambassadors. We donate fifty cents of every book sold from our website to their youth scholarship/grant program.

“The Wolverine Pickleball Forum in Ann Arbor always has classes and programming for youth pickleball. They also offer youth pickleball camps. There is also the Livonia Pickleball Club, the Grand Rapids Pickleball Club, and the Kalamazoo Club has a tournament where players as young as 13 can participate. It’s exciting to see.

“Middle school students can often be a tough crowd in terms of getting them excited about pickleball,” said Freeman. “But once we get those paddles in their hands I witness those lightbulb moments. It’s wonderful to see in that age group.”

Pickleball provides a unique opportunity to put students on a level playing field with teachers.

“Because this sport is new to all of them, including their teachers, a newbie has a real chance to shine at it,” said Freeman. “The best teachers are the ones who love to learn. The students need to see the teachers missing a ball and see that the adults don’t succeed every time they go to do something.”

The principal at Onsted Elementary school brought Freeman and Worthy in to teach all 70 teachers and staff members how to play pickleball.

“She wants her teachers to know how to take care of themselves outside of the classroom and the gym instructors are going to help the teachers teach pickleball in the classroom,” said Freeman.

Paddletek in Niles, Michigan offered the teachers pickleball paddles at a discounted price.

“I’m geeked at all of the professional players and businesses that could make big bucks but instead are helping to grow the sport,” said Freeman.

The principal also asked them to paint a court on the floor of the school’s multipurpose room.

“The custodians stripped the floor, called us in at 9pm one night and let us paint and sealcoat a pickleball court inside the school,” said Freeman. “The principal also wanted the court so that students in the after-school care program could play this sport. If, for example, a child has a meltdown and the staff and kids know how to play pickleball, an aide would be able to dink a few balls over the net and a few minutes into that there may be a calmer opportunity to connect with the child. This principal knows what children and what staff need, and is working to keep them healthy and physical and playing.”

The pickleball court inside the elementary school is not only being used by students and teachers, but every Tuesday night from 6-8pm it is open to the community to come in and play.

“It’s exciting to see children and their parents and teachers merge their interests and learn together,” said Freeman. “There are 600 children in that elementary building. How many of those students will be on the basketball or football team? Maybe a dozen. They understand that pickleball is something that everyone can play.”

Enthusiasm for the sport is getting headwind with youth, and Freeman and Worthy want to keep that enthusiasm going. They have sent letters to athletic directors and physical education teachers in several school districts in Michigan. In the letters they introduce themselves and offer to come in to schools to do a presentation, teach them about pickleball and even let them know how to find funding to get nets and paddles to the districts. Worthy and Freeman are also getting the word out by being guests on podcasts and are involved in the Pickleball Forum for Women.

“We’re wanting to be invited anywhere to be ambassadors not just for youth pickleball but for our community,” said Freeman. “It’s like learning a new language and we’re just making sure everybody understands the language.”

To learn more visit www.bendyourkneeslouise.com.