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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