Walking into the Fairhope Recreation Center Pool on a Tuesday morning during the Fairhope Area Swim Team, aka FAST practice, I am stimulated by the sights and sounds of approximately 350 kids in matching team swimsuits, swimming laps. There are eight lanes with coaches on each side, loudly giving instructions to swimmers aged 7 to 17 years.

Like a hurricane, pickleball is sweeping across the nation. So much so, supply is trying to catch up with demand. Everybody I talk to is playing, and one group in Pensacola is seizing the opportunity to capitalize on the pickleball craze in impressive style. Get ready for Portside Pickle.

Forty-seven years ago, a 22-year-old girl graduated from college with a BA in Dance Education and with big dreams, opened a studio above the Page and Palette and called it Creative Outlet. Its first iteration was a school for many creative classes; piano, calligraphy, guitar, tai chi, drama, and of course, dance. Her father, a hands-on dad, co-signed a loan and taught her how to run the business, with handwritten financial ledgers, postcard marketing, and in-person, 3x5 card registration. It was the Dark Ages compared to the present day, but it worked. ‍

Throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal communities, graduating high school seniors celebrate the end of their primary education and make plans for the future. It is an exciting time for all involved, but a bit of trepidation and separation anxiety is thrown in, too. Our next-door neighbor, Jake Prati, a recent St. Paul’s Episcopal School graduate, is off to Auburn in the Fall. 

My friend and neighbor, Scott Miller, has the most beautiful golf swing I’ve ever witnessed. Smooth, methodical, and consistent, it’s a rare combination seldom seen in amateur golfers. His is a swing that golf dreams are made of.

Now that I have your attention, let me tell you about one of the nicest guys I have met that happens to be a really good golf instructor to boot, Bobby Hall. I kept hearing my golfing friends, both men, and women, rave about Bobby. It was more than just the lessons but the person himself. I scheduled a sit down to learn his secret; it was so much more.

Golf is the only sport that I know of, where most of the game is spent driving a cart around to find and hit a ball. For me, it’s kind of like a scavenger hunt. These continuous interim periods of driving an open-air vehicle provide all kinds of time for socializing, cocktails, cigars (yuck), and enjoying the great outdoors with beautiful scenery- both manicured (fairways) and wooded (rough). I am naturally drawn to wooded areas.

Pickleball is for all ages, all levels of athleticism, and every socioeconomic group. It has been described as a combination of ping pong and tennis. Scenic 98 communities have more than 50 pickleball courts that we know of plus more in process, all built within the last five years. In fact, it is difficult to even find pickleball players that have actually played the sport for more than five years.