How to get smells out of your sports clothes
It happened to me. Smelly sports clothes. I have to admit, it snuck up on me. I was driving to pickleball and I was wearing a clean, quick-dry shirt when I noticed an oder. What the heck?! Was that me? Yup. I was a victim to smelly workout clothes. Shocked!
I soon realized that washing in normal detergent wasn’t going to cut it anymore after playing for hours in the Florida weather, and hours of sweaty bacteria building up in my clothes. What to do?
Researching on the internet, I soon found a few tricks.
You have a bacteria situation going on. This happens when you sweat and sweat and do not get all the bacteria out. So you need to tweak your pickleball clothes laundering routine.
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- Add a cup of white vinegar to your wash.
- Use special sports detergent like Tide Sport
- Wash your clothes immediately after getting off the court. Don’t let them sit around in a laundry basket.
- Use bacteria eating Lysol Sanitizer (It works)
- I also use Borax in my wash that does a pretty good job.
After attacking the problem, voila! Problem solved. Stinky smells are gone for good.
Have fun on the courts!
How to Survive Playing Pickleball in the Heat
It’s not easy playing pickleball in the Florida heat and humidity. Some players will handle the extreme temperatures better than others, but what everyone should watch out for is heat exhaustion or heat stroke. This can happen quickly, and it is better to ward off than to try to recover from. Below are some tips that I have learned over the years.
- Proper clothing. A hat is extremely important. I use a mesh hat that provides protection from the sun but allows for cooling. Don’t have a mesh hat? Soak your hat in ice water, squeeze out the excess water and put it on. Repeat as needed.
I read the reviews on the cooling shirts and they don’t really work, so save your money. What some of our pickleball players do, is soak their shirts in water before putting on.
2. Ice, ice baby! A must-have is a cooler with ice. Use it to keep your water cold, and apply ice to the back of your neck and wrists 
between games. I recommend bringing a pickleball Tervis tumbler and adding ice and water to cool yourself off with. Ice-cold water is better at cooling your body temperature than just drinking water out of a bottle you had sitting on the bench.
3. Not just water. It’s a good idea to have have fluids in your cooler that replenishes electrolytes. I will have a bottle or two of Bai. It’s a great pick-me-up that I like to drink between a glass of water.
If you
are susceptible to frequent leg cramps, you can make your own recovery drink by adding Cream of Tarter and sea salt to water. Below is the recipe.
Some players swear by drinking pickle juice or consuming a tablespoon of plain mustard for cramps.
These packets in a bottle of water will replenish electrolytes.
4. Personal fans. The internet is a good source for personal, battery-operated fans. Keep one in your bag for relief between games.
Spray bottles. Add ice and water to this water bottle and spritz away.
5. Sun block. Use a good sunblock on your face and all exposed skin. I use different products for my face (do not put of forehead because it will drip in your eyes when you sweat), and a sunblock spray for my shoulders and legs. I usually apply before leaving the house and it will last for a few hours.
Cooling towels. I don’t personally use one, but I see players with a cooling scarf/towel wrapped around their necks. They say they work.
6. And lastly, if you see someone in distress, call 911 as soon as possible. Move them out of the sun, apply ice to the back of their necks, and keep everyone calm.
If you have any suggestions on how to stay cool on the courts, Please send me a comment.
Thanks,
Pickleball Terry
Don’t Crowd Your Partner and Other tips
“Don’t crowd me.” I heard my partner say on the pickleball court. That of course threw both of us off and the ball went flying by giving the opponents a point. Meanwhile I’m thinking…what does he mean? Don’t crowd me?
I was a novice player (thank you Ron for giving me the idea to call beginners NOVICE) and my game was all over the court. I was where I wasn’t suppose to be, unprepared for return of smashes, terrible at dinking, and anyone could lob over my head as I stood there. Pickleball is easy to learn but hard to master.
What did he mean?
Crowding your partner is when you get too close as he/she goes for a return shot and YOU become a distraction. The correct thing to do when a ball comes flying over the net and it is apparent that your partner has a better shot at it, is take a step away sending the subtle message that you know that they are going to take the shot. This may work better than saying, “I got this!” which can be a little distracting. Anything that takes your focus off the ball can cause a fault.
Usually, when you have someone crowding you on the court it is an indication that they don’t have confidence in your game, and are going to try to get to the ball before you do. In a tournament this could be a good thing as the opponents have targeted you as the weaker player and are hitting the ball consistently to you, but you keep missing the return. However, in recreational play, it is better to not hog the ball. (Yes, I know. People call me a ball hog.) Let your weaker partner have a try at returning the ball.
Tip number 2 – poaching
Players don’t poach enough. What is poaching? Poaching in doubles is the art of “anticipating” a weak return from your opponent or moving across the net after the ball is poorly struck and putting the ball away.
It is a aggressive offensive shot BUT make sure you get it over the net or you’ll get the evil eye from your opponet.
Here is a great video explaining POACHING
Tip number 3 – Don’t take your partner’s forehand
A forehand shot is more accurate than a backhand shot. In a good partnership the forehand takes most of the shots. As one of the more pro players on the Sarasota Pickleball courts told me, she calls the person with the forehand the TERMINATOR. I have heard novice players scold their partner when they cross the middle court line with their forehand and take the shot, “That was on my side of the court!” The correct play is to let him/her with the forehand take the shot.
Tip number 4 – Always be a supportive partner
You have played with that person. The master of eye rolling, chief of head shaker, and professional frowner. Ahhhh, the negativity that floats around the court when you play with them. When you miss a shot, God help you. They act like they are so disappointed with you that you personally have ruined their day. Ugh! And it is particularly crazy when it is only recreational pickleball.
Please don’t act like it is the end of the world when your partner misses a shot. We all have good days and bad days. I remember everyone that was/is nice to me on the courts. Be that person that people remember and smile about.
Be supportive! A game lasts around 20 minutes and is an opportunity to practice good sportsmanship.
Tip number 5 – Know your limits
Know your limits means know your level. Yes, we all believe we are better than we actually are (guilty), and want to play with the better players. I hear, “How am I going to get better if I don’t play with the better players?” Well, that used to work when pickleball was a new sport but the divide has become wider as the seasoned players have played for many years and practiced over and over again. The beginners have just picked up a paddle. That old saying saying doesn’t cut it anymore, and there are many places for beginners and novices to play with other people at their level. Once they have mastered keeping score, serving, dinking, and stopped hitting the ball out of bounds, then may start playing with intermediate players. A good way to know if you are ready is if you consistently win games. And if you lose every game when you move up to play with the intermediates, you might have to go back to the novices and sharpen your skills.
Are advanced players obligated to play with beginners? No, they are not, but the nice players will give you some tips and possibly play a game or two with you out of the kindness of their hearts.
Here is a skill determination list from the USAPA CLICK HERE
Have fun on the courts. If you have any pickleball questions, please let me know at dinkpickleball@gmail.com .
Pickleball Terry
USAPA Ambassador
Owner or SarasotaPickleball.com
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Bradenton Pickleball News
Post from Bradenton USAPA Ambassador, Toni Teasdale
Having attended the February 27th meeting regarding future plans for Kinnan Park (located in Sarasota but part of the Manatee County School district), I am pleased to say that we have two Manatee County commissioners who are on our side for promoting an increase in pickleball courts anywhere in Manatee County.
The preliminary plan for Phase 1 at Kinnan Park does not include pickleball courts but nothing is set in stone. If enough people speak out about including pickleball in Phase 1, the proposed dog park (or some other aspects of the preliminary plan) could get bumped and replaced with pickleball courts.
While at the meeting I spoke with Charlie Hunsicker, Director, Parks & Natural Resources for Manatee County, about the plans for the outdoor courts at G T Bray. The very preliminary plans are very different from what we were last told. Included in the proposed current plan:
All existing hard courts for tennis and pickleball to be
rebuilt, all as designated covered pickleball courts. The
number of courts could be as many as fourteen.
Four hard tennis courts to be built across from the
skatepark.
When speaking with Charlie it was clear that the purse strings held by the commissioners plays a huge role in any of the plans for Parks & Natural Resources anywhere in Manatee County. That is why it is so important that we contact these commissioners and let them know we would like to see more courts wherever it is feasible to put them. Their decisions in the budget approval process are critical for future growth. Hearing from the public influences their decisions.
Please take a few moments to either call or email these commissioners (or any that you know) to ask for their support in promoting more pickleball courts in Manatee County. It doesn’t matter what district they cover. You don’t have to speak to them personally, but leave a message stating your hope that they/she will support plans for future pickleball courts. If you do speak with anyone personally, please share your feedback.
Misty Servia
Email: misty.servia@mymanatee.org
Bus: 941 745-3713
Cell: 941 256-4261
You could also communicate with Misty via her Facebook listing in the Manatee County Commissioners group.
Betsy Benac
Email: betsy.benac@mymanatee.org
Bus: 941 745-3714
Cell: 941 685-4209
Pickleball Camp at Pickleplex
