Recreating a New

Identity Through
Pickleball

Virginia Najera, Delenie Chavez, Alejandra Sanchez

Anthro 454
May 14, 2019
 Recreating a New Identity Through Pickleball

Introduction (Virginia)

Liberty Park is located on the south west side of Cerritos boarding Lakewood. The park
is right off of the 605 freeway and the San Gabriel River Bed making its location easily
accessible to everyone. Liberty Park is an active park with a fitness center, baseball diamonds, a
frisbee golf course, indoor racquetball courts, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, but it’s main
draw is the jogging track. My fiancée plays tennis here on Saturdays and I felt that I needed to
do something active in the mornings too, so I put on my running shoes and went with him. While
I was running I was watching a group gather in the middle of the track on a small tennis style
court. After I completed my run and cool down, I sat under a tree and watched the group start to
play a game that resembled tennis but without the running around on the court, they used what
looked to be ping pong paddles and wiffle balls. I had never seen anyone else play that game
before, but the group had one distinction in common, they were all older adults. After my fiancée
finished his match we went home and did not give the game another thought.
A few weeks later the fall semester started, and I was enrolled in an Aging & Leisure
course. The professor was very active in a game called Pickleball and brought in players to
speak about the game and the benefits they receive from the exercise. I was curious if the group
that I watched that morning in the summer at Liberty Park was just there on that random
Saturday morning or if there was more to their gathering. Then, this semester in our Culture &
Aging class, we were asked to conduct an ethnographic report on the culture of aging. Many
ideas and suggestions came to mind, we thought about focusing on fashion (orthopedic shoes),
fitness (Nifty over Fifty) and cosmetic procedures (Botox), but we could over hear other groups
talking and it seemed like we were all thinking the same thing. So, as panic settled in and groups
started to walk out of the classroom, Pickleball came to mind. I started talking about all the
wonderful older adults that I met last semester in my Aging & Leisure class. They were older
adults, but they embraced their age and had a great time playing Pickleball. One of our group
members was in my class last semester so we began to fill in the third member of our group.
After we got passed the silly name of Pickleball, we agreed that we wanted to examine the
culture of Pickleball a little further. It fit all the criteria of our current model of “successful
aging.”
On March 23​rd,​ I tagged along with my fiancée and his tennis partner to Liberty Park. I
know new what the older adults were playing the last time I was there. So, I grabbed my running
shoes, water bottle, and backpack. This time I was going there with the purpose of gathering
data for our research project. We arrived at the park around 7:15 am, it was a brisk morning,
but the weather was perfect that day. I ran/walked my 2 miles and watched as the group
gathered in the middle of the track at the Pickleball courts. They brought their lawn chairs,
umbrellas, coolers and it looked like they were going to be there for hours. After my run, I took a
seat under a tree about 50 feet away outside of the track. The players walked up by themselves or
with a partner, they greeted one another and began to stretch. By 8 am there were 10 players,
they occupied both courts and played in couples, while the other two people waited on the
sidelines. You can hear their laughter, conversations, cheers and grunts. Soon, four more people
showed up, but they managed to move the game along so that everyone could get a chance to
play. It is now around 10am and one of the ladies heads to her car. I thought she was leaving but
came back to walk to few laps around the track, so I got up introduced myself and joined her. I
told her I was doing a project on Pickleball, she was delighted to tell me all about it. Mary said
she started playing pickleball after she retired in 2012. She had heard about Pickleball through
some friends but had never played. Then, she stated,“I saw these two people playing what looked
to be tennis, but it was Pickleball, I asked if I could play and I’ve been hooked ever since.” It’s
like a job, you can’t say you’re too tired to go to work. So, I have to do the same with Pickleball,
it’s part of who I am now.”

Problem: Successful Aging Model (Virginia)

In the past, aging was a natural and continuous biological process that went through
chronological stages of the life course. Today’s current model of “successful aging” is defined as
someone who is independent, self-sufficient, and active. We see decline as something that could
be prevented by making the right lifestyle choices. Older adults are expected to stay the same as
they age, and acceptance of decline is bad. However, there are problems with this model. With
age our bodies change, and we naturally start to have bodily or cognitive impairments. It is
something that is inevitable, and the effects of aging are not under one’s control. Sometimes you
cannot avoid it, due to genetics, accidents, and lack of resources. During our observations and
interviews we met older adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities and yet they still managed
to remain involved. We found that no matter their age, physical limitation, and skill level
Pickleball makes the proper accommodations.

Claim: Pickleball helps reinvent a new Identity (Virginia)

Initially, our research focused on the idea that pickleball was a great way to remain
active, engaged and that staying healthy really mattered for older adults. We wanted to see what
this pickleball culture had to offer to older adults. However, through our many hours of
observations, interviews and analysis of data we uncovered that successful aging is a little more
complicated. It is not so much about health, it is more about identity and reinventing yourself
through difficult life events such as widowhood and retirement. Losing a spouse can be very
difficult to cope with and can lead to anxiety, depression and isolation. For years you were part
of a unit “us” and with this loss comes the question, who am I without him/her? After retirement,
people also experience a loss of identity. For so long they have identified themselves based on
their career/work, but once that is gone, the question becomes, who am I without my career? It
becomes hard to shed the work identity they once had. So, as older adults lose their loved ones
and struggle with finding a new purpose in life, we found that Pickleball fills this void. They are
no longer a widow/widower or a retiree, they identify themselves as Pickleball Players. This
reveals that identity development continues to matter in late adulthood as it did in adolescents.

Addiction: (Deleine)
What really causes addiction? Addiction comes in various ways for different reasons. The
word addiction comes with a negative reputation and does not fit in with the successful aging
model. The successful aging model focuses on what it means to live a positive and healthy
lifestyle at an older age. However, in our research we realized that older adults in the Pickleball
community have an addiction. This type of addiction among Pickleball Players is actually
positive because it is part of their successful aging path. The primary generation of older adults
playing Pickleball are the Baby Boomers.
On a Sunday morning, an average of twelve older adults arrive at College Estate Park
ready to play Pickleball. Two players set up the court on the tennis courts while the rest of the
players are setting up the “community space.” The community space is the socializing area
where players sit around and wait for their turn to play rounds of Pickleball. The players unfold
their chairs and place their belongings on the floor next to their chair. There is not just one
mascot but plenty of wonderful dog mascots that support the Pickleball Players. The dogs are
walking around the area like security guards keeping it safe. I walked to one Pickleball player
that was sitting down watching the others hitting the wiffle ball back and forth with their
paddles. I introduce myself to Nancy who seems to be quite focused on watching her teammates
playing rounds. Nancy and I start having a conversation about Pickleball. She told me her story
on how she fell in love the sport. With a big smile on her face, she mentioned that Pickleball
makes her happy. Every time she plays Pickleball, she experiences happiness that she never
wants to stop playing. The sense of constant happiness ignites an addiction for players to
continue playing on a weekly basis. Nancy mentioned that she was a tennis player before
transitioning to Pickleball. Nancy revealed it got harder to play tennis because her physical
mobility decline as she started aging. With Pickleball, the court is smaller so Nancy is able to
shift from side to side to hit the ball on the other side of the court. Another factor that Nancy
stated was how inexpensive the sport is to play. Nancy’s voice suddenly got serious as she
explained the budgeting process some older adults organized every month. The fact that
Pickleball is a low-cost sport brings in loyal players every week continuing to play the sport.
Before retirement, Nancy was concerned about what she will be doing with her time until she
found out about pickleball. I continued to listen and write notes about everything Nancy was
telling me about Pickleball as she sat on her blue chair. She was so passionate that she could
talk for hours about it.
After having a conversation with Nancy, I realized all the different factors Pickleball has
that makes Pickleball an addictive sport. The typical responses we received were Pickleball is an
easy sport, it creates a social life and gives them their daily exercise. Pickleball is a sport that
seems so simple, yet many crave to play it and we discovered why. After retirement, there is a
deep loss of identity. Older adults no longer say, “I am a doctor” or “I am a teacher,” so they lose
who they were before retiring. Now they get a chance to say, “I am a pickleball player.”
Pickleball gives older adults a second chance to relive moments before retirement. So, in this
case Pickleball addiction is positive.

Competition: (Deleine)
The act of being competitive is unavoidable when being athlete. Although pickleball
players compliment one another after a good shot or a good play, there still is a sense of
competition that takes place. The general stereotypes that are associated with aging such as
physical and mental decline are still circulating in society. However, Pickleball players are
breaking those stereotypes because they are athletes who have an urge for competition.
 At one of my field notes, I met a lady named Marty. She is 85 years old and is the oldest
competitor in Long Beach. Marty had just finished playing a round of PickleBall when she came
to the conversation. She noticed that I was conducting an interview with another pickleball
player that she inserted herself to the conversation. I am glad that she did became she
demonstrated what it means to be a competitive athlete. Marty explained that when she signs up
for a tournament, she is the only one in her age category at her skill level Players are divided by
age and skill level. Marty is at the highest skill level which is level 5. Due to lack of opponents,
Marty is placed at the category below her. She states, “ I dominant at the court.” She also adds
that she receives a medal because of her age. With a disappointing tone on her voice, she says
that those medals do not mean anything to her because she did not earn it. Marty is an example
of older adults wanting win medals because she won it. She doesn’t want free medals when she
did not work hard for it.
Successful aging is more than just being physically active to live a healthy lifestyle. For
older adults who are pickleball players, it means to reconnect to those feelings that make them
happy. It becomes a personal matter of becoming great at something again. In fact, I had the
opportunity to play Pickleball when recording my fieldnotes. I played a round with competitive
opponents that did not care if I was new or not. They did not treat me different by going easy at
me. My opponents served aggressive and paddle the ball hard at me. Even my teammate had to
say, “Take is easy on her. Throw me that hard balls.” One of the opponents replied, “That is the
only way she is going to learn.” In that moment I realized how important Pickleball is to some
older adults. They compete with anyone with the best of their abilities regardless of experience.

Accommodation (Alejandra)
From our observations, we gathered that Pickleball was extremely popular in older
generations. From various visits we learned of the many reasons why this is. Pickleball fits so
well with older adults because the movements are easier for them. Many of our individuals
started off as tennis players when they were younger. They all mentioned that pickle ball is
easier for them. This makes sense, considering that the courts are smaller compared to those of
tennis. The serves are also underhand, so it is a lot easier on their arms and legs. Although, the
sport is still a work out considering that we tried it and ended up sweating and sore for the next
couple of days. Many of the individuals had injuries on their arms or knees, and they still
continued to play the sport, so it shows that it is easier to play even if they are injured. Because
of this, it makes it an easy way for them to get exercised and stay fit. Gary, a man who has had
about 5 surgeries still continues to play. He even stated that he lost over 50 pounds because of
this game. Marty, who is 85, still continues to play and travels all over the country.
Another reason for the sport catering to older adults is that they is a lot of retired folks . A
lot of people answered our interviews and stated that they enjoy the sport because now that they
are retired it fills the void and makes them do something. Most of the people that we interviewed
were retirees but some still had a job. A woman named Linda, stated she worked
afternoon/evening shifts and played early mornings. Another said he was a teacher part time and
he enjoyed playing. For the people that were retirees, many said they were tired of being at home
and doing nothing. Lots of them do it to socialize as well. Many have been playing Pickleball for
years, and during that time they have become friends with multiple people. We all realized that
they were very playful with each other and talked so well with one another, showing friendship
for years. Many of the women said they all grab lunch after the game that is why they play. “It
can be for anyone”, says another. With our field notes we saw grandparents playing with their
grandchild. Pickleball is for everyone because you can come by yourself or show up as a group.
You do not need to bring a partner which brings me to my next point, some individuals are alone.
Going into the darker side of Pickleball, some individuals are alone at this stage in their
life. Their kids move across the country or their significant other has unfortunately died.
Pickleball gives them the ability to socialize with other people. Many of our interviews stated
that some had husbands who had died and they were scared to end up the same, that is why they
started trying to be “healthy”. One of our women said she was getting extremely depressed being
all alone after her husband died, Pickleball helped her lift up her spirits again. Once again, we
think pickle ball fits so well with the older generation since in this time in their life they might
not have the opportunities to socialize how they used to. With pickle ball it gives them the
opportunity to do that while also moving their muscles and staying active.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, we stated that pickleball is a way for older adults to have a new sense of
identity. With growing older, one might lose their identity along the way because of life
transition moments. For example, losing a significant other, children leaving across the country,
or retiring. Pickleball is able to fix this, because it has accommodations for older adults.
Pickleball is easy enough for them to understand and play. It also has the competition factor that
reminds them of their youth. Another point from competition is it gives them a feeling that they
are able to conquer anything. All these factors make it “addicting” to play Pickleball. From this
project, we are happy that older adults are able to find something that they really enjoy.
Pickleball is breaking the mold of the stereotypes of successful aging.