8 minute read
Break a Sweat This Summer Pick up Pickelball
from FF July 2021
by Forsyth Mags
Pick up Pickleball BY AMY HILL
Summer heat got you feeling sour? The popular sport of pickleball can pull you out of your slump. Being the fastest growing sport in the country, pickleball is sure to get you moving, laughing, and connected to local players of all ages.
Advertisement
Pickleball enthusiast Gary Hellmann began playing the sport around five years ago. While running laps around the indoor track at the Jerry Long YMCA in Clemmons, he was able to watch pickleball being played on the basketball courts below. After his neighbor invited him to join, Gary immediately realized that he had stumbled upon a fun and challenging new hobby, and quickly became hooked. Currently, Gary plays around three to four times per week for an average of two to three hours at a time. His wife Debbie has also fallen in love with the sport, making the Hellmann duo a force to be reckoned with.
Why has pickleball taken society by storm? Perhaps it’s because the sport encompasses the best aspects of classic sports such as tennis, badminton, and table-tennis without many of the headaches that accompany them. Tennis players train for years on end, sometimes to no avail, as the skill level needed to master such a sport requires ample time, talent, and physical exertion. In addition to the frustration coinciding with honing one’s tennis skills, private lessons, clothing, and equipment can be costly.
Pickleball, on the other hand, is a sport that most can pick up on fairly quickly without breaking the bank. Because the sport carries a lighthearted reputation (it is named “pickleball,” after all), players can more easily enjoy themselves and form bonds without the interference of high stress and hefty financial investment. Given that pickleball courts are smaller in perimeter than standard tennis courts, senior players often find solace in having less ground to cover—although a good hustle is still necessary. Additionally, pickleball can be quite fast-paced and fun to watch, as volleying (or hitting the ball out of the air) occurs much more frequently than it occurs in most tennis singles matches. While the volleying can be thrilling to watch, the pickleball itself is much larger than a standard table- tennis ball, making the ball slightly slower and easier to spot.
As a former tennis player, Gary initially assumed that pickleball would be a cakewalk for him. He soon realized that while tennis and pickleball do overlap in many areas, the concept of the “no-volley zone,” commonly referred to as the “kitchen” by pickleball players, made the sport more challenging than he expected. In the kitchen, players are prohibited from volleying the ball, and are only allowed to enter the zone to return a ball that bounces within the zone. Because of this rule, professional pickleball players often find themselves in a game of “dinking,” or lightly hitting the ball back and forth within the kitchen, until someone inevitably errs.
Triad communities have caught on to pickleball’s popularity and have installed permanent pickleball courts in Greensboro and High Point, as well as in neighboring areas such as Statesville, Salisbury, and Wilkesboro. Makeshift courts can be created by striping tennis or basketball courts and utilizing portable nets for indoor or outdoor play. While the City of Winston-Salem boasts 109 tennis courts, it currently has no dedicated pickleball courts. Forsyth County pickleball players hope to see pickleball courts installed throughout the county sometime in the future, as the demand for pickleball is only increasing.
According to insiders like Gary, the local pickleball hot spot is Joanie Moser Park in Lewisville. For those interested in getting started with the sport, Gary suggests checking out the dozens of YouTube videos, or better yet, coming over to Joanie Moser Park most mornings and chatting with any of the players. There’s also the TeamReach app for information on local pickleball schedules, calendars, and chat rooms. Don’t have the right pickleball gear? Fortunately, paddles are relatively low-cost and can be purchased at sporting goods stores throughout the area. If you don’t want to invest in equipment just yet, friendly players will likely allow you to borrow their equipment to try your hand at the sport.
Interested in learning more about pickleball? Visit USApickleball. org to learn the ropes and get involved.
Friday, July 30, 2021
Ezra Goldbach’s family and friends are honoring his life by having the 5th Annual Golf Tournament in his memory at Pilot Knob Park Country Club in Pilot Mountain. We are excited to see everyone again this year and welcome anyone that hasn’t played before to join us! Each year a scholarship will be awarded to an upcoming college student with a brilliant future and has played Ezra Golf Tournament on their High School Golf Team. This year we feel so blessed and fortunate to award 4 scholarships. Congratulations to Emma R. Hutchens from East Surry HS, Isaac Riggs from North Surry HS, Emily N. Cox and Lukas Sikorski from West Stokes HS. In 2020 The Ezra Goldbach Foundation donated to Food Banks, donated to several needy families due to COVID-19 in Stokes County and adopted a local family for Christmas. Each year we hope to reach out and help a school or family in need. Please mark your calendar for Friday July 30th for a fun day of golf in Ezra’s memory!!! There will be lots of food and hydration available! Prizes and giveaways too! All this and the incredible golf at P.K.P. We thank everyone in advance for being a part of this awesome day!!
DATE: FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2021 TIME: 8:30 & 2:00 SHOTGUN START FORMAT: CAPT. CHOICE/SCRAMBLE TEAM: (4) PERSON COST: $75.00 per person; GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE and TEE SPONSORSHIPS available. LUNCH: WILL BE SERVED FROM 1:00 – 2:00
Lukas Sikorski Emma Rose Hutchens Isaac Riggs Emily Nicole Cox
St. Patrick’s Day Treats
BY KRISTI JOHNSON MARION & EMILY DODSON
Cool Patriotic Eats
BY KRISTI JOHNSON MARION
Independence Day celebrations call for patriotic foods! The kids can help squeeze lemons, spread the layers of the bean dip, sprinkle and stir the ingredients. Whether you are celebrating by the pool, with a picnic, or with the backyard barbecue, these cool red-white-and-bluethemed recipes will add festive flair the whole family will love.
STRAWBERRY LEMONADE EASY BERRIES & CREAM ICE CREAM
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. Strawberries (the riper, the better) 1 cup granulated Sugar (superfine is best) 4 Lemons, juiced Cold Water (or use sparkling for fizz) Ice (optional) Strawberry and Lemon slices for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
1. Remove tops of strawberries and cut in half. Place in blender with sugar and enough water added so that it blends more easily. Blend until smooth. 2. Juice the lemons. 3. Using a sieve, strain lemon and strawberry juice over a bowl. Use a spoon to press it down in the sieve. 4. Transfer the strawberry lemon pulp to a pitcher and add water to taste. Chill or serve over ice, garnishing with strawberry and lemon slices (optional).
PATRIOTIC-FLAG-LAYERED TACO DIP
INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 oz.) can Refried Beans 1 cup Sour Cream 1 (16 oz.) package pre-made Guacamole 2 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning 1 small jar Salsa, mild 3 Tbsp. Cilantro, fresh (optional) 1 large can Black Olives, sliced 4 slices Mozzarella Cheese 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes 1 (16 oz.) shredded Queso Cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Spread the refried beans on the bottom of a large casserole dish.
Sprinkle taco seasoning evenly on top. 2. Spread sour cream as an even layer, followed by the guacamole.
Sprinkle on cilantro (optional). 3. Create a “square” of olives in the top left corner, in what would be the blue part of the American flag. 4. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and place in rows to create the red stripes of the American flag. 5. In the stripes between the tomatoes, sprinkle the shredded queso cheese to represent the white stripes of the flag. 6. Using a star cookie cutter or your knife skills, cut out star shapes for the mozzarella slices and place atop the black olives. 7. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with red and blue corn tortilla chips.
INGREDIENTS:
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed
Milk 2 tsp. Vanilla extract 2 cups heavy whipping Cream (cold) 1 (8 oz.) Cream Cheese block, softened Strawberries & Blueberries
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, condensed milk, and vanilla until smooth. 2. In a separate bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. 3. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. 4. Top with berries. Pour into a loaf pan and freeze until firm, around 6 hours or overnight.
“I do not want art for a few any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few.” ~ William Morris
1Ashley Sanchez Razo 5th Grade Virtual Academy Elementary Beatrix Hutton, Art Teacher
2Yasmeen Quzah 7th Grade Meadowlark Middle Deirdre Mullen, Art Teacher 3 Chloe Calilung 10th Grade West Forsyth High School Nathan Newsome, Art Teacher
4Emerson Adams 8th Grade Hanes Magnet Middle Barbara Butryn, Art Teacher
