Your Weekly Santa Clara Clubs Update: May 29, 2023

Dear Member,

Happy Memorial Day to all!

Wishing you a beautiful and memorable Memorial Day! And a heartfelt thank you to all of our Members that have served.

This week, I decided to partner up with my pal, TK, our Head of Athletics, and talk about the sport of the summer, Pickleball! If you haven’t joined in the fun yet, now is the time.

A Little History – Flashback to 1965, when a group of friends in Washington State returned home from a round of golf to, you guessed it, their children bored at home. Lucky for us, those bored kids helped spark the creation of Pickleball–first through a combination of misfit equipment (a lowered badminton net, a perforated plastic ball, table tennis paddles) and a driveway. By the early 1970’s, pickleball was becoming a fully formed sport, with a corporation created to protect its integrity. Soon to follow would be organized tournaments, and with competitive play came the first official rulebook in 1984, created by the US Amateur Pickleball Association. In 2005, the USA Pickleball Association was established, and the rest is history. You’ll hear various opinions on whether the sport was named after the creator’s dog, Pickles, or the dog after the sport, but however it came to be, we’re thankful to have it as part of our racquet sports culture.

Is Pickleball for Me? – The best part, no previous racquet sports experience is needed, just a willingness to have fun! If you’ve ever played ping pong, you’ll find pickleball to have a very similar feel, using a paddle that’s slightly larger than ping pong but far smaller than tennis. This smaller paddle makes it easier to control, which leads to consistent contact with the ball much more quickly as you learn. Rallying (successfully hitting the ball back and forth over the net) comes naturally, and within minutes, you’re chasing the ball around the court, having a blast!

What do I need to play? – You don’t need much. Wear comfortable clothing and non-marking athletic shoes. We have all the rest of the gear you’ll need at the Club. If you would like your own paddles, check out this month’s Perk with Recess. Style, quality, and member savings! LINK to PERK.

Courts Galore – Did you know we have over 100 courts across the Clubs, and growing!? We are working hard to keep up with the growing demand.

A Little T.L.C.

Are pickles good for you? You know I had to tie them into the subject somehow. Pickles are actually great for you! They’re great sources of both vitamin K and vitamin A, two essential antioxidants that are found in many fruits and veggies. These natural antioxidants fight free radicals, which are chemicals in the body that can cause cancer and heart disease. Now, not all pickles are fermented, but the fermented kind have the most health benefits. Fermentation creates good bacteria (you may have heard of probiotics) that support a healthy digestive system and boosts the immune system. Look for fermented pickles in the refrigerator section of the store. Another hint, look for “live cultures” on the label. Now, go grab a spear (and a paddle)!

Ponder This

“Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness”.
~ Chuang-Tzu

Bird’s Eye View

In health,

Todd McWilliams
Senior Vice President
Bay Club Santa Clara