Always Picked Last

I recently took up pickleball, which is basically tennis’ cooler, less intimidating cousin. I’ve had four coaching sessions and have been playing for about four months now. Am I good? Absolutely not. Do I like it? Weirdly, yes. A lot.

At my last coaching session, the instructor looked at me and said, “You’re improving! Did you play sports before?” I nearly choked. Me? Athletic? I quickly explained my long, “storied” history of being the person you pick last for every gym team. I wanted her to fully understand the miracle she was witnessing.

See, the closest I ever came to sports was being a cheerleader in school. Now before you picture backflips and elite-level tumbling, let me stop you. Today’s cheerleaders are basically Olympic athletes in sparkly uniforms. Back then? Let’s just say my biggest assets were a loud voice and a willingness to smile through the pain. Splits? Nope. High jumps? Not a chance. But I could clap on beat like nobody’s business.

So how did “this” person end up enjoying pickleball? Honestly, pickleball feels like the first sport giving me a chance at redemption. If I keep practicing, maybe one day I won’t just avoid being picked last—I might actually get picked first!

What I’m learning is that practice makes a huge difference, even if you don’t have natural talent. Look at Steph Curry: he wasn’t always the unstoppable 3-point machine he is today. He trained endlessly to get that precise shot. Or Serena Williams—yes, she’s gifted, but it’s her relentless training and discipline that made her a legend.

So no, I’m not a natural athlete. But pickleball is teaching me something important: hard work, consistency, and maybe just a touch of stubbornness can close the gap. Who knows, maybe I’ll even impress the coach.

Lou