Pickleball a popular event in Sr. Olympics

In a pickle about how to stay fit while aging?

According to Tucsonans Nancy and David Jordan, being in a pickle is the best place to be.

The sport of pickleball is gaining in popularity, becoming one of the heated competitions at the Tucson Senior Olympics, which start Friday.

Whether swimming, running, lifting weights or competing in pickleball, the mission of the Senior Olympics is to promote health and fitness awareness and foster the value of leading an active lifestyle, according to organization literature.

For the Jordans, fitness comes in the form of pickleball.

"The name drew me to find out what it was," said Nancy Jordan, 61, the USA Pickleball Association's Tucson ambassador. "I just fell in love with it."

Pickleball, a mix of tennis, badminton, ping-pong and whiffle ball, was conceived by a Washington family in 1965 and named after their cocker spaniel. It filtered into community centers and Senior Olympics.

Held at the Voyager RV Resort, 8701 S. Kolb Road, this will be pickleball's second year at the local Senior Olympics. With more than 148 people battling for top honors last year, Nancy Jordan assumes this year's tournament, Jan. 21-25, will draw an even larger crowd.

It is one of 36 events at the local olympics, which is in its 24th year, said Mike Davis, program coordinator. Other popular events include track and field, badminton, volleyball, cycling, baseball and aerobics.

About 2,000 Tucsonans are expected to compete in the olympics, which conclude Jan. 27. Athletes must be at least 50 years old, and some compete into their 90s, Davis said.

"I have a 91-year-old power lifter,'' Davis said.

The Jordans are serious about their pickleball, traveling around the country from September to March to play in tournaments.

Bothered by carpal tunnel syndrome, Nancy Jordan made the move to pickleball from tennis and other higher impact sports. "It was something I could do and feel successful at," she said. "And you don't have to do a lot of running."

The sport is ideal for people who want to stay active but can no longer handle large courts and the smaller, faster balls of other racket or paddle games, said David Jordan, 60.

John and Jean Sproehnle, who learned pickleball "in about 12 minutes" from the Jordans, tout the socialization.

"You get to meet people and it's not like a country club environment," Jean Sproehnle said. "You get to play with everybody."

"It (pickleball) just makes me happy," Nancy Jordan said.