Mystic Pickleball

Competition can be good for the soul

Bronze Medalists at Sundial Resort, Sanibel

To hear the related 5-minute audio file that I uploaded today as my Morning Journal flash briefing for Alexa devices, please click on the play button:

Unplanned spiritual practice on the court

I played in my first-ever pickleball tournament yesterday.

It was a fundraiser for the Zonta Foundation.

Darlene had planned to join me on a mixed-doubles team, but the tourney conflicted with an art class she had signed up for. So a friend of ours, Samantha Crane, agreed to fill her spot.

Samantha and I played for about two and a half hours, six games, and ended up with the bronze medal. We finished third out of four teams, just shy of the Silver.

The main thing was we had a good time, met people on the island we hadn’t known, won some games and lost some.

I have been playing pickleball socially for about two years. It’s casual, thoughts of competence mostly a dull rumble.

During yesterday’s competition, sharp thoughts of how we would finish kept arising as I played—before I served, as I fast-walked to the kitchen, during a pop-pop-pop rally. Will we beat these guys?

I hadn’t planned on honing my mindfulness practice during the competition. But there it was, an opportunity to do a nano-meditation before a shot. To reset my connection to the present at each point.

This morning I returned to pickleball with friends in the neighborhood. I am glad I competed and grateful to be playing again for fun.

Our bronze medals will be mailed to us soon.