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Pickleball for all
People of all ages are picking up a passion for pickleball as they socialize while they exercise.
SARASOTA, Fla. - The game of pickleball is picking up for all ages.
Pickleball is a way of life for Stanley and Ruth Brown.
"That’s the social event of the morning," Ruth Brown exclaimed. "You go down to the pickleball courts and socialize before games."
Pickleball players enjoy socialization as well as exercise.
But it's more than just social exercise for this Sarasota couple. It's a way to bond with their granddaughter, Paige McElyea.
"I love being able to play a sport with them that won’t make them overly tired, but will still challenge me and it’s super fun," McElyea said.
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Stanley says the pickleball addiction for older folks wasn't surprising, but he didn't imagine younger people getting involved.
Pickleball is bonding generations.
"It was really totally unexpected," shared Stanley Brown. "It was just as addictive to them. It’s just so much fun because all the generations are playing the same game and enjoying it equally as much."
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Fellow Sarasota resident Martin Marshack is still regularly playing at 95 years old. "Everybody I play against is younger," he said with a laugh.
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Martin Marshack and his wife, Arlene, have been playing for four years, after decades of playing tennis.
READ: Sarasota pickleball player back on home court after playing in more than 40 states
"We went out on the tennis court and neither of us could handle it," she recalled. "Everybody said, ‘Why don’t you play pickleball?’"
Sarasota couple plays pickleball with granddaughter.
Martin Marshack liked it right away because he didn't have to move as much and the serve is much shorter. Even though he may be a step slower these days, Arlene Marshack says don't let that fool you.
"Don’t hit anything to him at the net, you’ll never see it again," she said with a smile.