Pickleballerz

🧠 May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re closing it out with something the science has been saying for years:

The way you talk to yourself changes how you perform.

Jordan. Ali. Phelps. Serena. Federer. Bolt. Biles. The greatest athletes ever weren’t just physically elite — they were mentally built.

Your mind is a muscle. Train it. 💪 The legends knew it. The science confirms it. 💡

What mental skill are you working on this month? 👇



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📚 Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Zourbanos, N., Galanis, E., & Theodorakis, Y. (2011). Self-Talk and Sports Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(4), 348–356.

Another great season of our Women’s Saturday DUPR Ladder League wrapped up with some seriously strong play from top to bottom.

Congratulations to Kumi Sato on taking the top spot this season with consistent, high-level play week in and week out. Well earned.
Shoutout as well to Tanya Sutan-Tanon for a strong runner-up finish and a great season on the ladder.

Thank you to everyone who competed and made this league such a competitive and fun environment each Saturday.

☀️ More to come this summer.

If you’d like to join the Summer Leagues be sure to soon! They start in June.

Another fantastic competitive morning for our 4.0+ Up-River Challenge yesterday.
Big thanks to everyone who came out to compete!

Tighe Gillis and Josh Pickeral were the ones who finished on top, winning a free round for the next Up-River Challenge! Huge congratulations to you both!

Who’s ready for the next Up-River Challenge? 🔥

Yesterday was National Senior Health & Fitness Day, and we think there’s no better way to celebrate than on the pickleball court.
Here’s what the science actually says about what happens when older adults play pickleball regularly:

✅ Heart rates reach moderate-to-vigorous intensity — meeting the full weekly exercise recommendation in just a few sessions
✅ Bone density stays higher, even compared to people decades younger
✅ Depressive symptoms are 60% lower among frequent players vs. the general population
✅ Cognitive function — memory, reaction time, visual tracking — stays sharper longer
✅ Loneliness drops significantly, and real friendships form

But honestly? You don’t need a study to feel it. You just need to show up, grab a paddle, and play a few games.
Pickleball isn’t just exercise. It’s connection. It’s competition. It’s something to look forward to. And at every age, that matters more than almost anything else.
If you’ve been thinking about trying it, today is the day. We’ll see you on the court. 💙

🗓️ Ready to try it out? Start here! https://www.pickleballerzusa.com/what-is-pickleball



Sources:
• https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/health-benefits-of-pickleball.html
• https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss18/233/
• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-1-unexpected-health-benefit-of-playing-pickleball-goog_l_680a6651e4b01f53dc43f142
• https://soar.wichita.edu/items/89cc9c55-41f7-4854-a075-26a155b53839
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41117027/

Today we said a bittersweet goodbye to one of our own.

Dan Ouellette has been a fixture at Pickleballerz for as long as many of us can remember, a great player, and one of the nicest guys to ever come through our doors. That kind of person leaves a mark on a place, and this community is better for having had him in it.

Dan and his family are heading south to start a new chapter in North Carolina, and while we’re sad to see him go, we couldn’t be happier for what’s ahead for them.
Thank you for every game, every laugh, and every bit of good energy you brought to this community, Dan. You’ll always have a home on our courts whenever you’re back in town.

Wishing you and your family all the best. Go give North Carolina some competition! 🔥

Spring League is a wrap and it’s time to celebrate our champions! 🏆✨
The competition was fierce all season long and these teams rose to the top.
Huge congratulations to all our Spring League winners and runner-ups!

🏆 Men’s Doubles League
Champions: Mark Walters & Daniel Gonzalez
Runner-Ups: Justin Griggs & Andrew Pasternak

🏆 3.75+ Mixed Doubles League
Champions: Marisa Arbuaratna & JD Almond
Runner-Ups: Chris Kelly & Janet Dornbusch

🏆 3.0-3.5 Mixed Doubles League
Champions: Lyndon & Dan Gonzalez
Runner-Ups: Rob & Annie Fyfe

🏆 Women’s Doubles League
Champions: Katrina Koons & Marisa Arbuaratna
Runner-Ups: Dawn Danner & Beverly Raelson

Thank you to every player who competed this season, brought the energy week after week, and made Spring League something worth showing up for. We are proud of this community every single time.

Tag your teammates so they don’t miss their shoutout and if you're planning on joining the Summer Leagues, registration has already started! 👇

Today we pause and take a moment to honor the men and women who gave everything so we could have the freedom to gather, play, and build community together.

To every service member who made the ultimate sacrifice — we are deeply grateful. You are not forgotten.

From all of us at Pickleballerz, happy Memorial Day. 🇺🇸

Father’s Day is coming up fast, and if you’ve got a pickleball dad in your life, a Pickleballerz gift card is an easy win.

Pick one up and let him choose how to use it: court time, leagues, socials, or a new paddle from the Pro Shop.

Next time you’re here, stop by the front desk and pick up a gift card on your way out so you’ve got Father’s Day covered and don’t have to scramble for a last-minute gift.

The Up-River Challenge 4.0+ did not disappoint. 💪

Big congratulations to our 4.0+ Up-River Challenge Champions Lori Castagna and Josh Pickeral for grinding through a stacked field and finishing on top. The winner also earned a free entry into the next Up-River Challenge on our schedule!

If you’ve been thinking about jumping in, don’t wait.
We had so many sign ups this time that we even ran a waitlist, and the level of play matched the demand.

Think you can hang with this crew?

👉 Head to pickleballerzusa.com/pickleball-schedule, find the next Up-River Challenge, and sign up now so you secure your spot before it hits the waitlist again.

🏷️ Tag your partner and anyone you see in the photo so they don’t miss it!