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Need a last-minute gift for a pickleball fan? This 'slam dink' read arrives in time
Yahoo's Rick Broida shares his love of the game — and the invaluable lessons it has taught — in a relatable new book.
A confession: My pickleball career consists of one 7 a.m. lesson aboard a Caribbean cruise, covertly arranged by my early-bird husband. "It'll be fun!" he said. "Let's try something new!"
Well, despite a cadre of comically enthusiastic instructors, I came away not with a new hobby but low blood sugar and a grumpy attitude. At that hour, the only new thing I was interested in was which specialty doughnut was up for grabs on the ship's breakfast buffet.
Still, I'll give the country's fastest-growing sport another chance, partially thanks to the very persuasive Rick Broida. Yahoo's senior tech writer chronicles his journey from skeptic to "card-carrying pickleball fanatic" in a new book, Everything I Need to Know, I Learned Playing Pickleball: Stories From the Court, Lessons From the Sport. And guess what? If you order now, it'll arrive in time for Christmas with Amazon Prime.
This easy, breezy read would make a great present for any pickleball pro in your life — and so would all the fun finds on Broida's list of the best gifts for pickleball players.
Broida discovered pickleball in 2021, but it wasn't exactly love at first dink. "Everything about pickleball seemed kind of lame," he says. "The name, the plastic whiffle ball ... It seemed like an oversized game of ping-pong, where you just kind of stand there and tap the ball back and forth. It didn't seem like much of a challenge."
Still, he wanted to find something that would get him out of the house after the pandemic, so he gave it the old college try. The rest, as they say, is history.
Today, Broida plays as often as he can and has joined multiple local pickleball leagues to ensure a steady stream of games. He even competes in tournaments every couple of months. "Even though I play mostly for fun and exercise, I have a competitive streak that I like to indulge sometimes," he says. "And, yeah, I have some medals hanging in my closet; mostly bronze or silver, but a few gold as well."
How did pickleball win him over? "In a word: fun," he says. "I can't think of another activity that is so relentlessly fun. And that's so hard to come by these days. A book or movie can be entertaining, but you're just sitting there. Pickleball is play, and play is fun. It taps into something most of us lose after childhood."
Broida writes that his pickleball journey has been about more than having fun, though. The sport has helped him make more friends, own up to mistakes, be more adaptable — essentially, live a fuller life.
"The life lesson I keep coming back to is to try new things," Broida says. "If I'd steered clear of pickleball because of the reasons I mentioned earlier, I'd have deprived myself of something truly magical. So why wouldn't I take that same approach to everything else? We get only so much time on this planet, so if I have the opportunity to experience something new, even if I'm skeptical, my attitude is, 'Bring it on!'"
As Yahoo's resident tech expert, Broida spends his days researching, testing and writing about everything from iPads to TVs to smart-home gadgets. Fun job? Sure — but also one that involves a lot of screens. Pickleball, in all its low-tech glory, helps restore a little balance.
"As someone who eats, sleeps and breathes tech, it's great to have an activity that is 100% tech-free," he says. "I'm conscious of how much screen time occupies both my work and off-work hours, and pickleball has reminded me how crucial it is to disconnect sometimes. It's a reboot for your brain."
I, for one, could use a reboot — and less screen time. So, what's a pickleball newbie to do? Broida recommends taking a few lessons and keeping an open mind. (Admittedly, I could have done a little better on that second part.)
"The learning can be a little tedious, but once you have the basic skills in place and you actually start playing, you're going to love it," he says. "In the meantime, watch some YouTube videos that explain scoring, positioning and all that." (Author's note: Scoring was the most frustrating part of my crash course in pickleball — here's a good primer.)
You don't have to know your drop shots from your dinks to appreciate the life lessons pickleball can teach, Broida writes.
Of course, you'll need a little gear too. The good news? It doesn't cost much (at all!) to get started. This ultra-affordable set is a fine buy for beginners, Broida says:
If you're just getting a feel for pickleball, here are your trusty companions, complete with nonslip grips and paddle-protecting edge guards. The wood-core paddles aren't as light or sturdy as pricier fiberglass, Broida says, but they'll do the trick for anyone who doesn't want to invest in a higher-quality set right away. Bonus: They're competition-approved by USA Pickleball, the sport's governing body.
If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
