When Community Comes Together: Creating Connections through Pickleball
Late last year, POC Board President, Lauren Simmons, received an email from John King of Huntington Beach. John loves playing and teaching pickleball and was looking for a way to use his talents to serve the Parkinson’s community.
Lauren told John about a new indoor pickleball facility that was opening in Lake Forest. Together, they approached Adam Go, owner of Pickleball Haven, and proposed creating a pickleball program specifically for people living with Parkinson’s. Adam immediately embraced the idea and generously offered complimentary use of a court for several hours each week.
The pieces were beginning to fall into place, but they still needed guidance from experts in Parkinson’s-focused exercise programs. After a couple of meetings with PEP4U physical therapists, Gabi Frei and Tricia Brown and PEP4U board president, Jerry Miller, the PEP4U board approved adding pickleball to its offerings.
With all the pieces in place, the first two classes of people with Parkinson’s attended their inaugural pickleball lesson in March. After just five weeks, participants were playing games and even learning how to keep score. If you play pickleball, you know that mastering the scoring system can be a cognitive challenge for everyone!
This summer, players from both classes came together for friendly games, with John coaching strategy and, occasionally, helping everyone keep track of the score. Some participants have even begun organizing games within their own communities, extending the connections they made through the program.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants offering high praise for both John and the program. This experience is a powerful reminder that when individuals, organizations, and community partners come together, something special happens. Connections are formed, confidence grows, and community thrives.
