Hi USAPA ambassadors and Donna Donald
Just wanted everyone to know that over the last three weeks there have been two different letters to the editor News Press in Fort Myers, FL. The first article appeared in the News Press on Thursday January 12. This article was written by Julie Yates and the subject was that the Lee County, FL Parks and Recreation had kicked off the tennis courts a group of kids playing Pickleball. The problem in Lee County, FL is that there only a few places to play pickleball and the major site WaKe Hachee gym and the Estero gym are too small to accommodate the large number of Players in the Fort Myers / Fort Myers Beach area. Now we all know that we want the youth to be active a few hours per day but with this mental set of the Park and Recreation department runs contrary to our goals
Just in our Resort we have two courts with the addition of one more this year. The number of players in this resort is well over 120. The courts are busy 7 days a week from sun up to sundown every day. The age of players runs from 55 to 92. See places to play in Fort Myers Beach in Lee County on the web USAPA.org.
On Tuesday February 7th in the same news paper there was an article by Robyn George stating that Lee County is going to start MINI Tennis. This is primarily intended to provide a game for aging players. It did not say what the age level is going to be. This is being offered at four different venues in Lee County and are inviting everyone to come out and try it. In our Resort players are right up there in age but I don't think they are going to start Mini Tennis. The tennis players, if they want some exercise, come and play Pickleball. I don't know when the tennis people will figure it out that if the youth were to start in Pickleball they will have a wealth of tennis players in the future. Get the tennis courts marked for pickleball and everybody can
play.
In my home town area, Fauquier County Virginia, I have encouraged the scchool system to start Pickleball in their PE curriculum. They have done this in a few of the schools, middle and high school, so possibly these youth will have a game they can play throughout their entire lifetime and keep in shape at the same time. Come on America, lets wake up, come alive and be active.
Morris Wheat
Ambassador-at-Large
Atlantic South Region
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