Laurie Coyne & Pickleball
Laurie Coyne is working on Haulotte North America, as Technical Campaigns administrator. Laurie practices Pickleball, she tells us more about her hobby
Could you explain what is Pickleball?
Pickleball the fastest growing sport in the United States. It is a paddle sport which combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. It’s played on a court the size of a double’s badminton court 20’ x 44’ with a unique plastic ball with holes in it. Pickleball has been growing in popularity over the years, attracting players of all ages and skill levels. You don’t need to play on a team or have a partner, all you need is a desire to play, take a lesson or two and go out and have fun. Most venues provide paddles to use for free, or you can purchase an intro level paddle and get started right away.
Pickleball is easy to play and less strenuous than tennis and attracts people of all ages and athletic ability to the game. Once you learn the basics of the court layout, court position and score keeping you begin to familiarize yourself with the technique and with so many other players you will have a vast support group to help you succeed. Pickleball tournaments, parties, and cruises are popular and provide a great way to help with emotional stress by keeping your mind positively stimulated. Gathering your friends and co-workers to play is exciting and keeps life fresh and upbeat.
Pickleball In Other Countries
Pickleball awareness has increased all over the world and specifically in countries such as, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Slovakia, and France. France’s own, Jocelyn “Jay” Devilliers, ranked top 5 in the world and is the ambassador for the French Pickleball Federation.
Journey to the 2028 Summer Olympics
Pickleball was officially included as a demonstration sport in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. This was a major milestone for the sport and helped to increase its exposure and popularity globally. Pickleball will makes its full debut as a medal sport in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles California.
How were you drawn into this sport?
- I was drawn to pickleball by chance in 2018 while visiting the local Virginia Beach, VA recreation centers. I entered the Gym to play a few games of Badminton, so I thought, what they were playing was a sport I had never seen before, Pickleball. I was instantly intrigued by the action, the on-going chatter of the players, and the popping sound of the balls hitting the paddles. Pickleball provides an outlet for recovery both physical and mental. The time you spend playing will calm your mind due to the mental focus required to play pickleball, it relieves stress and anxiety, lowers blood pressure, enhances body movement, and increases physical balance.
- A new Pickleball facility opened in November of 2021, and by May of 2022 an opportunity presented itself to provide lessons to beginners. It took me about 1 second to realize it would be a great opportunity for me to share my skills and give back to my community. I created a brand “Aqua Lane Pickleball” (named after my first passion surfing), established a Limited Liability Corporation, and received an accredited coaching certificate. By the end of 2022 I had provided over 500 lessons, connecting people of all ages and athletic abilities to the sport of Pickleball. I provide video recorded lessons to my students and share these videos on my social media channels YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
- With coaching comes merchandising including paddles, gear, and attire. I set my attention to JOOLA, a brand I knew from Table Tennis and with hard work and dedication I became a JOOLA brand Champion Rep in June of 2022. I market and sell JOOLA merchandise and paddles direct to consumers and my students.
Do you compete in any competitions? If yes, how do you manage your work and your passion?
I compete in tournaments throughout Virginia and North Carolina on the weekends. I travel to tournaments not only as a player but as a JOOLA product representative. The opportunity to meet other people and share the game of Pickleball brings me such Joy.
You ask how I can find time to pursue my passion while working a full-time job. Honestly, I have always followed my passions, surfing, Jewelry making, and art then in 2018 Pickleball entered my life. I knew it was an amazing sport, that was fun, exciting and fresh. In the beginning I had no idea how much Pickleball would shape my personal life but finding the balance between my professional career and time to follow my passion for Pickleball seems quite easy. Helping others through coaching and team building is very rewarding both professionally and personally. Through this I was able to find an inner balance.
Can you explain what it brings to your life?
Pickleball increases your mood, helps you relax, increases balance and overall, it has many health benefits. You meet many people from all over the country and share life in an enjoyable way. It brings clarity to your life and more meaning and purpose. I enjoy giving to others and Pickleball allows me to surround myself with many people all wanting to enjoy life and have a great time. Pickleball provides numerous health benefits which is why I have considered this sport to be the new “Fountain of Youth”.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in joining the sport?
More than likely people interested in joining have a friend who already plays, or they see it on social media. They should contact their local community centers and see if Pickleball is offered. Check out the apps that offer meetups for Pickleball and as well for those in the U.S. they can visit this website (www.Places2Play.org). Interested players enter their zip code and it provides results for places to play in their area. I have local Virginia people contact me from my website (AquaLanePickleball.com) if they are looking for lessons which is a great way to get started.
Most newcomers don’t want to look new, so they want a lesson to understand the game. A coach will set up a lesson, provide you with venues to play and match you with other players, so you have friends to organize a game. Once you have been playing for a few months you will be in the know and are ready to join Open play and work on the skills and techniques needed to play good Pickleball. Once you start to play you will find it to be a fun and rewarding game that you will begin playing several times a week.
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