It’s the spookiest time of the year and while I’m still being haunted by my pickleball ghost(er), I had something absolutely terrifying happen to me during open play.

I got the yips. Every single time I served, it was like I was a newbie who'd never picked up a paddle in my life. The ball was ricocheting out of bounds, I nearly nasty nelsoned my opponent, and my partner was looking at me as if I’d lost my mind.

It was a scary day on the pickleball court. But it got me thinking, what are the scariest things that happen during open play?

1.     When a net cord doesn’t go your way

2.     When your doubles partner says they want to start playing with other people

3.     When grandma Louise beats your 11-2

4.     When your DUPR goes down

5.     When you think you hit a winner, start celebrating, but your opponent returns it and you lose the point

6.     When your pickleball bestie couldn’t make it to open play and you’re forced to play with strangers

7.     When the pickleball coach is there and asks why you haven’t taken another lesson

8.     When the well-meaning moms ask why you still haven’t settled down with your doubles partner

9.    The opponent who blames every bad shot on their paddle

10.  When there’s only three people on the court and you’re forced to play 2 v 1

 

 

 

 

 

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11.  When your opponent is such a stickler for the rules, you feel like you need a referee for a rec game

12.  When the ball cracks

13.  When it rained and the courts are still wet

14.  A court with bumps, cracks, or uneven lines

15.  When players show up with $10 plastic paddles

16.  When players don’t wear proper footwear

17.  The guy who insists on filming himself even though it’s a rec game

18.  The girl who’s angry she didn’t get into the 4.5 league and insists on banging every ball as form of punishments for the 4.0s

19.  Bangers

 

20.  The guy who’s not a coach but feels the need to give everyone a quick tip after every point. I don’t need to adjust my stance, Derek.

21.  When the court isn’t welcoming to newbies

22.  Playing with or next to the screamer or excessive grunter

23.  The person with bad music taste who brought a speaker to the court

24.  The guy who swears he could go pro if he didn’t have a day job

25.  The one guy who took a pro clinic back in 2022 and still thinks he has a personal relationship with Ben and Collin Johns

26.  When your opponent calls the score too quietly and you can’t hear them

27.  When your opponent doesn’t tap paddles

28.  When you forget your water bottle

29.  When you forget everything you learned from your last coaching session and all your bad pickleball habits come back

30.  When you forget to have fun

At the end of the day, pickleball is supposed to be fun. So for me, the scariest thing is when I start taking the game too seriously and forget to laugh it off and enjoy the fun of playing a game. So no matter how scary things get on the court, don’t forget to have fun.

Happy Halloween!

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