Gail Socia
Gail Socia, 81, knows what it’s like to be the new kid on the block. She grew up in Michigan, but during her married life, she followed her husband’s career from city to city, finally landing in Kentucky. Each move required her to make friends in new surroundings. When she moved to Richmond in 1997 to be close to her son, she did what she has always done: built a new life of friends, work and play.
Socia was a skilled and avid tennis player in Kentucky, and in Richmond, she took up the sport again. Then one of her tennis pals suggested she try pickleball and gave her a paddle. “I was hooked immediately,” she says. That was five years ago. Today, she plays for several hours two to three times a week.
A combination of tennis, ping pong and badminton, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, with more than 4.8 million participants and a growth of 39.3% over the last two years, according to The Sports & Fitness Industry Association 2022 Sports, Fitness and Leisure Activities Topline Participation Report.
When you talk to many people who play pickleball, they don’t say they enjoy it — they say they are addicted to it. It’s a faster, bouncier game than tennis, where the quick returns get endorphins hopping with instant gratification and keep them flowing.
A pickleball paddle looks like a large ping pong paddle made of wood. The balls are lightweight plastic and covered with holes. While tennis is a long-range game, pickleball is played on a much shorter court and tends to be played close to the net. An area called the kitchen (a 7-foot area on both sides of the net) is a no-volley zone, where players cannot step. Unlike tennis, you must serve the ball underhand. The ball has less bounce, and singles and doubles are played on the same-sized court.
Socia learned to play pickleball quickly and became a mainstay at courts including those at the Deep Run Recreation Center in Henrico. “There are advantages to playing indoors,” she says. “Obviously, it’s better in winter, but also in summer when it’s just too hot or wet. Plus, a wood floor is much easier on your body than asphalt or concrete.”
Once she started playing, she found that others who wanted to try the game were sometimes hesitant. Many felt uncomfortable starting at a new court with new people, so Socia became the unofficial hostess at Deep Run Rec Center.
With sparkling blue eyes and a vivacious personality, Socia welcomes newcomers and provides encouragement and direction. She spreads that spirit of patience and acceptance to the other more experienced players at Deep Run.
Socia chats with a fellow pickleball player at Deep Run Recreation Center.
Pickleball has become so popular that court time is often hard to get. Socia and others at Deep Run keep the players rotating, allowing two games per foursome, keeping teams of four on each court and providing opportunities for all who show up to get paired.
Pickleball takes drive and speed. To be playing this competitive, high-energy sport at age 81 is no small feat. What is Socia’s secret to staying active? “Yoga has been critical in keeping me flexible and agile; that, plus my good genes,” she says. Her optimism and positive attitude also help. While it’s a fast and physical game, pickleball can be less strenuous than other sports, as even players with knee replacements and hip replacements seem to be having a great time on the court.
At the pickleball courts at Pouncey Tract Park recently, I met Pam Lawson, 68, who plays pickleball about four times a week. Lawson travels a lot but says she has found it easy to keep up with the sport wherever she is due to the sport’s wide popularity.
“Pickleball is a great exercise, and it can be played at different skill levels or just for fun,” she says. “I’ve played with a wide range of ages, from 8 to 93, and we all agree it’s addictive. Pickleball players are friendly and welcoming.”
One of the groups Lawson plays with is the Meetup group Get Out Today RVA. Sarah Nearhood, an organizer, says about 50 of the group’s 1,000 members play pickleball, and about 20 come each day to the Pouncey Tract Park’s 12 courts. “Our group is more recreational and less competitive than some,” she says. “We welcome new players.”
Many pickleball players say the social aspects of the sport are just as important as the exercise. “I love the friendships and camaraderie of this game,” Socia says. “There is teamwork involved. I give others help because they helped me when I started.”
Her best advice: “Play at your own skill and physical ability levels and just have fun!”
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