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Madison Messenger - June 5th, 2022

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PAGE 10 - MADISON MESSENGER - <strong>June</strong> 5, <strong>2022</strong><br />

South Charleston<br />

www.madisonmessengernews.com<br />

PICKLEBALL<br />

Continued from page 1<br />

He has run two marathons, and he hiked the 211-mile John Muir<br />

Trail in California. With pickleball, it has been all about constant<br />

improvement and seeking challenges.<br />

“As I improved at the game, I looked for local and state tournaments,”<br />

John said, noting he played in his first tournament<br />

about seven or eight years ago and has been hooked ever since.<br />

In addition to playing a lot of games, he does drills three times<br />

a week with the help of a pickleball pitching machine.<br />

“There are a lot of excellent players in the Springfield area. My<br />

goal is to be competitive with them,” John said, adding he feels<br />

good about holding his own against players who are 10 and 15<br />

years his junior.<br />

“I’ve been lucky to have been healthy. I’m taking advantage of<br />

it while it lasts,” he said.<br />

Easily one of the fastest growing sports in America, pickleball<br />

attracts players of all ages. The fast pace is one of the draws. So<br />

is the fact that it’s easier on the shoulders than tennis and doesn’t<br />

involve covering a large court.<br />

Many municipalities are catching on, converting some of their<br />

<strong>Messenger</strong> photo by Kristy Zurbrick<br />

tennis courts to pickleball courts. Some school districts are making<br />

the same shift, Diane said. The village of South Charleston Diane and John Eichelberger like everything<br />

has striped one of the tennis courts at Community Park for pickleball<br />

play. Diane and John have friends in South Charleston who cise and competition to the camaraderie<br />

about the sport of pickleball, from the exer-<br />

have installed pickleball courts in their barns.<br />

with fellow enthusiasts.<br />

Upcoming events in the village<br />

• Ice cream social<br />

First Presbyterian Church of South<br />

Charleston, 15 N. Chillicothe St., is holding<br />

an ice cream social at 4 p.m. <strong>June</strong> 26. Local<br />

musicians will perform. This event is one of<br />

many scheduled to celebrate the church’s<br />

200 years of continual service.<br />

• Library events<br />

Houston Library, 5 W. Jamestown St.,<br />

South Charleston, (937) 462-8047.<br />

Decode Secret Nautical Flag Messages—<br />

Through <strong>June</strong> 30 (kids, teens and adults).<br />

Pick up an entry form and a list of alphabet<br />

flags at the Houston Branch. Then walk<br />

around South Charleston to find secret messages<br />

displayed in the windows of businesses.<br />

Decode the messages and turn your<br />

completed entry in to the library by 7:30<br />

p.m. <strong>June</strong> 30 to receive a treat. All correct<br />

entries will be entered in a drawing for $20<br />

gift cards for one child, one teen and one<br />

adult. Winners will be drawn on July 1.<br />

At the Pond—<strong>June</strong> 8 at 11 a.m. (ages 3-5).<br />

Hear stories about insects and animals<br />

found near the river or pond. Featuring a<br />

pond-related activities and a craft.<br />

Father’s Day Activity Bags—Beginning the<br />

week of <strong>June</strong> 13. Pick up activity bags.<br />

Lego Club–<strong>June</strong> 13, 3:30-4:30 p.m.<br />

(school-age children).<br />

Birds of Prey—<strong>June</strong> 15 at 11 a.m. (all<br />

ages). Ohio Nature Education will lead a<br />

program about Ohio’s hawks and owls.<br />

Oceans of Funny–<strong>June</strong> 22 at 2 p.m. Join<br />

magician Tricky Max for a jolt of comic energy.<br />

Registration is required.<br />

“The Fish with the Deep Sea Smile”—<strong>June</strong> 27 at 11 a.m. (ages 2-<br />

10). Margaret Wise Brown’s book is a rhyming adventure from the<br />

poles to the tropics. Participate in fish games, make a deep-sea<br />

craft, and enjoy a fishy snack.<br />

Undersea Adventures—<strong>June</strong> 29, anytime from 1 to 5 p.m. (all<br />

ages). Drop in to make sea-themed crafts, hunt for a hidden sweet<br />

treasure, and bring your camera for a pirate photo op.<br />

• Alumni banquet<br />

The Southeastern Alumni Association invites all Southeastern<br />

graduates to an alumni banquet on <strong>June</strong> 18 at the high school. A<br />

building tour is set for 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30. The<br />

cost is $20. RSVP by <strong>June</strong> 6 by calling Barbara Florence at (937)<br />

462-7398 or emailing SE1872RES@gmail.com. Checks should be<br />

mailed before the banquet to: Barbara Florence, 10735 Cols.-Cin.<br />

Rd., South Charleston, OH 45368. Include name, address, phone<br />

number, e-mail, number of reservations, and year(s) graduated.<br />

24 North Chillicothe St. • South Charleston, Ohio<br />

(937) 462-8357<br />

Whether someone is interested in playing purely for recreation<br />

or more for competition, the Eichelbergers wholeheartedly encourage<br />

them to go for it. United Senior Services, the senior center in<br />

Springfield, is a great place to get your feet wet in the sport. The<br />

center offers introductory lessons on Wednesdays; John is one of<br />

the instructors. The center also holds open playing time every day<br />

in three categories—novice, intermediate and advanced.<br />

In addition to the senior center, Diane and John play at the<br />

Springfield, Xenia and Huber Heights YMCAs. Clark State College<br />

in Springfield has courts marked for pickleball. Troy is home to a<br />

large complex dedicated to pickleball, and players can find several<br />

outdoor courts in the Dayton area.<br />

With the <strong>2022</strong> Nationals in the rearview mirror, Diane and John<br />

are looking forward to their next chance to make it to the big show—<br />

the state senior games in August, where they will try to qualify for<br />

the 2023 Nationals in Pittsburgh. State senior games are played every<br />

year, while the Nationals take place during odd-numbered years. (The<br />

<strong>2022</strong> Ft. Lauderdale Nationals were make-up games for 2021 when<br />

the games were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)<br />

John, a former U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam, also plans<br />

to compete in the Golden Age Veterans Games in Sioux Falls, S.D.,<br />

in July. His events are power walking, table tennis, cornhole and,<br />

of course, pickleball.<br />

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OPEN 7 AM TO MIDNIGHT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK<br />

PHONE 937-462-8353<br />

* Funerals<br />

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Groups<br />

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