By Tammy · Beautifully Uncharted
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I want to tell you something that still makes me smile every time I think about it. Before pickleball I had never played a sport in my life. Not one. I was not an athlete. I was not particularly coordinated. I was a woman in her mid fifties going through a divorce who saw something about pickleball on social media one day and thought — well why not.
So I called a friend and said “come try this ridiculous sounding sport with me” and she said yes and we showed up at a court together knowing absolutely nothing. And somewhere between my first completely missed shot and my second completely missed shot something unexpected happened.
I fell completely and utterly in love with it.
What pickleball gave me over the months that followed — at the hardest point in my life — was so much more than just a hobby. It gave me a community, a reason to get out of the house, a body that felt stronger and more alive than it had in years, and perhaps most importantly an identity that had nothing to do with being someone’s ex wife or someone’s empty nesting mother. I was just Tammy who plays pickleball. And that turned out to matter enormously.
Here is the full story — and everything you need to know if you are even slightly curious about trying it yourself.
1. How I found pickleball — and why I almost did not try it.
I discovered pickleball the way most people discover things these days — scrolling through social media at a time when I was looking for literally anything to fill the quiet hours of a newly empty house. I saw a video of a group of women laughing on a court and thought it looked fun. That was honestly the whole criteria at that point in my life — does it look fun and can I do it with a friend. I called my friend and we signed up for a beginner session together. I almost talked myself out of it three times on the drive over. I am so glad I did not.
2. My first time playing — honest and slightly embarrassing.
I had never played a sport before. Not tennis, not badminton, not ping pong — nothing that required me to hit a moving object with any kind of implement. So my eye hand coordination on that first day was — let’s say — a work in progress. I missed a lot of shots. I laughed a lot. My friend missed even more shots which helped enormously. But here is the thing about pickleball that makes it different from almost every other sport — even when you are terrible at it it is still incredibly fun. The court is smaller than tennis so the game moves quickly and you actually get to hit the ball fairly often even as a complete beginner. By the end of that first session I was already thinking about when I could come back. A good quality beginner pickleball paddle and some comfortable court shoes are honestly all you need to get started.
3. What pickleball gave me during the hardest months of my divorce.
Divorce is a particular kind of hard. It is not just the loss of the marriage — it is the loss of your daily rhythm, your social structure, your sense of who you are outside of being part of a couple. Pickleball arrived in my life at exactly the right moment and gave me several things I desperately needed all at once. It gave me somewhere to be on the days when staying home felt unbearable. It gave me physical movement that burned through stress and anxiety in a way that nothing else quite matched. It gave me something to think about and get better at which kept my brain engaged and forward focused. And it gave me people — new people who knew me only as Tammy who shows up and tries hard and laughs at herself — which was exactly the fresh start I needed.
4. The pickleball community — the most welcoming I have ever joined.
I want to talk about the people because they are honestly one of the best parts of pickleball and something nobody mentions enough. The pickleball community is the most welcoming diverse and genuinely warm group of people I have ever stumbled into. All ages. All backgrounds. All skill levels. Competitive but never unkind. Experienced players who go out of their way to encourage beginners. Women and men who become friends quickly because you spend a lot of time laughing together on a small court. I have made some of my closest friends through pickleball — people who met me at this chapter of my life with no preconceptions and no history attached. That kind of fresh connection is a particular gift when you are starting over.
5. How pickleball physically changed my body.
I did not start pickleball to get fit. I started it because I needed somewhere to be and something to do. But the physical changes that followed were remarkable. I became noticeably more energetic — the kind of energy that comes from regularly moving your body in a way it actually enjoys rather than tolerating. My coordination improved dramatically — which felt particularly satisfying given how spectacularly uncoordinated I was on day one. I felt stronger and more physically capable in my daily life. And the mental health benefits of regular physical activity during an emotionally challenging time were genuinely significant. Exercise is one of the most effective tools we have for managing stress and anxiety and pickleball made me actually want to do it which made all the difference. A good pickleball set for playing at home or with friends and some moisture wicking athletic wear that you feel good in will set you up perfectly.
6. Why pickleball is perfect for women over 50.
Pickleball is genuinely one of the best sports for women in midlife and beyond and here is why. The court is smaller than tennis which means less running and less impact on your joints. The ball moves more slowly than a tennis ball which gives you more time to react. The social element is built into the format — you almost always play with or against other people which makes it inherently community oriented. It is easy to learn the basics quickly which means you can have fun from your very first session. And it is genuinely suitable for all fitness levels — you can play at a casual social pace or a more competitive one depending on what you want on any given day.
7. How to get started with pickleball — everything you need to know.
If you are curious about trying pickleball here is everything you need to get started:
Find a court near you: Search “pickleball courts near me” — you will probably be surprised how many there are. Many public parks, recreation centers and gyms now have dedicated pickleball courts.
Look for beginner sessions: Most communities have beginner friendly open play sessions or introductory clinics. Bring a friend if possible — everything is more fun with a friend.
Get a starter paddle: You do not need to spend a lot to start. A good beginner pickleball paddle in the $40-$60 range is perfectly adequate for learning. Many courts also have loaner paddles for first timers.
Wear the right shoes: Court shoes with lateral support are important for pickleball — running shoes do not provide enough side to side stability. A good pair of court shoes makes a real difference to your comfort and your game.
Give yourself grace: You will miss shots. You will not understand the scoring system immediately. You will probably hit the ball into the net more than you expect. This is completely normal and part of the fun. Give yourself permission to be a beginner and enjoy it.
8. What I know now that I wish I had known before I started.
I wish I had started sooner. That is genuinely the only thing I would change. I spent years telling myself I was not sporty, not athletic, not the kind of person who plays sports. Pickleball showed me that was a story I had been telling myself that simply was not true. I am a person who plays pickleball now. I am a person who has a community and a fitness routine and something I genuinely love doing multiple times a week. All of that came from one social media video and a phone call to a friend. If you are on the fence about trying it — consider this your sign. Call a friend. Find a court. Show up. The worst case scenario is you miss a lot of shots and laugh a lot. The best case scenario is it changes your life. It changed mine.
Have you tried pickleball or are you thinking about it?
I would love to hear your experience — drop a comment below or reach out at [email protected]. And if you have a friend who needs a new reason to get out of the house and laugh a lot — send her this post. Pickleball might just be exactly what she needs too.
With love and a little chaos,
— Tammy