Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again

****************

Let me make sure I’ve got this right:

I’m watching Jack Sock playing Pickleball, with a full audience in my homestate of North Carolina , on the Tennis Channel ? Am I dreaming or weren’t McEnroe, Aggassi, Roddick, Michael Chang and Steffi Graff on the same channel playing the same game earlier this month ?

Misprint ? My old home town (Wilson, NC) is building a 4 million $ facility with 12 pickleball courts, plus a tournament capable viewing stadium.

Nearby Raleigh NC , the same with about 30 pickleball, 30 tennis. And PADL ball?

Good news—both facilities include a sizable number of new tennis courts too!

FLASHBACK TEN YEARS : “USTA–Buy Pickleball !”

Good News 2—The pressure from Pickleball enthusiam will build more tennis courts the next 10 years than tennis only facilities!

HINT,HINT–The two games are not mutually exclusive.

Bad news for USTA tennis leagues. The audience on TV ,reflected almost totally “Senior” fandom. A considerable % of your base.

Good news 3 –Pickleball , handled properly, can add a new base to the USTA. For years minority kids have been a target for growth. Pickleball is so easy to learn and inexpensive, the opportunity is a DUH? Tennis courts lined for dual use (about 100$ ) At public schools, municipal recreation courts, empty condo developments and other unused courts.

Once kids have fun and realize a tennis court”ain’t a bad place” –wouldn’t tennis garner some recruits?

And let’s face it, if new people never play tennis , won’t new pickleballers be better off. Than Video addicts, other pitfalls? ADULTS TOO?

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled