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Simplified Pickleball Gives Alzheimer’s Patients an Easier Version of the Game

The Kitchen Team
Your pickleball fanatics

Last Edited

Oct 08 2024

Category

News

Seasoned pickleball players take for granted how tricky the game can be to learn, especially for people who are used to tennis or who lack sports experience altogether.

But it's even more difficult for other, more vulnerable members of the population: those with Alzheimer's or memory issues.

As pickleball’s rise continues to sweep across the country, a group of passionate players in Lakewood, Colorado, has altered the game to be more friendly to anyone who cannot remember all of the game's typical play rules.

"We took all the complicated stuff out,” says Chris Beal, the mastermind behind this initiative. “Made it so they didn’t feel intimidated."

Chris, a die-hard pickleball player, noticed that older players often struggled with the sport’s more intricate rules.

Related: Pickleball World Cup to Break Accessibility Records for the Sport

So, she got creative. By stripping down the game to its core elements—reaction, balance, and agility—Chris found a way to keep the action fun and accessible.

"The most confusing part of the sport is the scoring and knowing where you’re supposed to stand on the court," she told Colorado Community Media. “I could see how that became frustrating to people with memory issues."

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly 7 million Americans are living with the disease.

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