If Pickle ball is “ Tres Chic”, USTA is in a pickle.

By Javier Palenque

A friend of mine just sent me this VF article and after reading it I wanted to sob. After you read the article here are the points I want to highlight for you to keep in mind:

- The self-generated energy of pickle-ball is infectious and creates the “word of mouth” effect. This is gold.

- The easy sweat and fun element are of course what everyone wants in a time-starved society. Easy and fun.

- The equalizer of opportunity is what makes the social fabric work as we are in this country and time together; we might as well compete and have fun regardless of our income. This is America, especially now in times of such income difference.

- It is easy to learn, play and have fun. Rule #1 is what you get out of it, answer FUN

- It is grassroots-led which means no top dumb organization from people who want to control what is disappearing and is unappealing. The power is in the people, the problem with tennis is that the people are a lot older. This is not good.

- It is free to learn and practice and play. This is key for entry-level people.

- Coaches better get qualified so they can defend their turf, of course, if they are certifying pickle-ball, they probably will…