Fargo ND#43 - This is how far we would go

May 19 2022 - How far would we go to play pickleball in North Dakota? If we took the direct route, it would have been 750 miles and 11 hours behind the wheel. However, this trip involved stops in three other states to play pickleball. The itinerary we chose consisted of 1,700 miles and 26 hours of driving. We had been monitoring the What's App communication for play at Brunsdale, Tintes and Rustad for weeks. Our preference for play is outside when the weather cooperates. You can't always count on Mother Nature to grant your wishes, so when we plan we like to have an outdoor and indoor option. The weather for this Thursday was questionable and Rustad Recreation Center had open play 10:00-1:00, which worked well since our day was starting in Sioux Falls SD located 3.5 hours away.

When we arrived at Rustad, there were 4 players banging away on one of the courts and it seemed like their court was going to be the same foursome for the remainder of the morning. There were a couple of other players on another court and they welcomed us to join them. David was from Bismarck ND and Rusty was a local player.  Their skill was a challenge for us to match. They were the victors in the game we played with them.

Our contact for play in Fargo was Becky Lommen. She arrived while we were playing with Rusty and David. It was a delight to play against her and Rusty in mixed doubles for our second game. After this game Becky insisted we start mixing things up where Harold and Barb were not partners with each other. The challenge here is quickly learning how you will play with this new partner given their style of play. 

Carmen then joined us for some play. While the others were finishing their game, Harold and Carmen did a little drilling on third shot drops. It was good to see that Carmen has a Paddletek paddle that she uses for the 'important' games like tournaments.

David was very helpful in giving pointers. He had noticed that Barb would benefit by keeping her paddle up and out in front of her.

Here Barb is putting into practice David's advice.

We believe that there may have been other players playing on the other side of the dividing curtain, but we had plenty of great play right where we were.

You know it was a good time when all the players have genuine smiles on their faces at the end of the game. So often, you don't even remember who won, but rather that you played well and had a good time doing it.

For those players at Brunsdale and Tintes, perhaps we will get a chance to play you on your courts in the future when the weather is a little more accommodating and if we happen to be in the area. Until then, continue having great play.

#letsgoagain