About 4 years ago a close friend invited me to her country club to play what I thought was a silly little game called pickleball. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Pickleball had not taken off in my area so at that time not many people had heard of this sport.

I have never played sports. Growing up I was in the band and my exercise consisted of the dreaded gym. I would drag myself to spin classes, personal trainers, and swim aerobics. Every single day was a dread.

My first experience with Pickleball was intimidating! I felt clumsy, uncoordinated, and confused. The scoring was difficult and the people were so much better than me. I said to myself, “This is never going to work.” I left frustrated. Something inside me just wouldn’t give up. Determined to do better I found a beginner pickleball coach and began taking lessons. I was then introduced to some other beginners and boom! Fast forward years later and these people have become some of my closest friends.

Amid Covid, we were hung out to dry with no place to play. Our area closed the parks, the gyms, and the clubs so I began trying to draw chalk lines on the driveway to curb my addiction. That experience alone led me to build The Briar Patch, a state-of-the-art indoor court.

Pickleball gave me self-confidence, calorie burn, and mental stimulation, and opened up a whole new social life. It’s my passion to share this with others and to bring the joy that I have experienced in the hope that their stories will mirror mine!

-Stella Dowling