Support and appreciation for Bobby Riggs Pickleball Club small business by Steve Miller

Post from Steve Miller

Hi,

I am Steve Miller, a retired (6 years) man who plays pickleball nearly every day since retirement.  Prior to retiring, I played tennis in the evenings for many years playing socially, in leagues, and in tournaments.  Although I love tennis and still play weekly, pickleball is an even more challenging (tactics and strategy) and all-consuming game.  Each game takes about 10-15 minutes and in both open play and structured group play one often switches partners and opponents after each game.  At Bobby Riggs I play in 3 different groups of up to 16 players on 4 courts.  Since our games don't end at the same time, we typically have a few minutes between games to chat.  It amazes me that almost my entire social network is now comprised of friends I have met playing pickleball.  (My wife also plays.)  We've enjoyed holiday parties, dinner parties, trips to the movies, lunches after pickleball, drinks after pickleball, etc.  Since our friends live geographically dispersed, we always go to a local restaurant in Encinitas and I've been introduced to many new restaurants as a result.  I've also found Smart and Final just up the road and often do my grocery shopping after playing.  Encinitas has a lot to offer; this club has drawn me to come up from my home in San Diego for many years.

Our pickleball community is precious to me. It's only been 1 week since this major curtailment of their court availability.  I am already missing seeing my friends from my Wed, Fri, and Sun games.  Just for me, this is 8+16+16=40 friendships with weekly contact that have been disrupted.  On these days, I see other groups of similar size (12-16 players on 3-4 courts) also meeting and playing weekly.  It really is a community-forming activity.  You really have no idea how difficult it can be for seniors like me who no longer work to meet people with shared interests and develop networks like these.  In contrast, my 3x/week trips to the gym have yet to yield a single friendship.  I am truly blessed by my pickleball friendships.  This is such a large facility that there is no other location that we can all migrate to.  Even if Encinitas had the money to develop such a large facility, by the time it passed all of the development hurdles and came to life, it would be years.  Encinitas is lucky to have Bobby Riggs club meeting these needs.

I've played in many locations around the country as I travel  (with shoes, paddle, etc.) and consistently find warm and friendly people on the courts.  I find it takes a club of 8+ courts to achieve a community feel.  The Dawsons who own Bobby Riggs have given so much to this pickleball community with fund raisers, lessons, fun mixers, tournaments, open play sessions as well as renting courts.  They have given to the city as well hosting fund-raisers and attracting visitors.  They are a tremendous pickleball asset as national champions and command respect and recognition throughout the country.  I am constantly meeting visitors who come to Bobby Riggs to play as almost a bucket-list type item.  Encinitas is on the pickleball map because of them and this club!

I've consistently seen Steve and Jennifer Dawson be welcoming, encouraging, diplomatic, and great ambassadors of the sport.  I know they will work with Encinitas to be a good neighbor.  Please allow their business to remain fully open while they work through whatever changes are needed to satisfy the community.  A partially open club could wither as existing networks get disbanded or try to relocate due to inability to fit all the needs into the limited courts currently available.

Thanks,

Steve