Of Poetry, Purpose, and Pickleball: The WHY of Volunteering

A full three years ago, as the Southern Pickleball Academy was getting started as a nonprofit, I was asked a question that has rattled around in my head ever since. Why have a pickleball charity with so many other worthwhile causes out there? Our tagline answers this question: "Healthy Youth and Communities Through Pickleball." We can't solve the world's problems, but we know the physical, mental, and social benefits of pickleball and we can use these benefits to help others.

Yet recently, one of our staff members was asked another question: Why do you volunteer so much time and effort with the Southern Pickleball Academy? A good question, and one I posed to several involved with this endeavor. Here's where we landed.

Abby Sullivan and Linette Carey at a Dinks & Donuts event

Abby Sullivan, our Social Media Guru

I’m involved with Southern Pickleball Academy because pickleball has been a true gift from God in my life. Before discovering the sport, my local friendships were limited—I work from home and moved to the area in 2018, and had difficulty reconnecting with those I did know in the area. Pickleball is an activity my son and I can enjoy together, strengthening our relationship and stewarding the health God has given me. I want that for other parents and their children. 

Paul Turner at a Reindeer Games Tournament

Paul Turner, Board Member, Growth and Partnerships

Have you ever been involved with something that you enjoy so much that you’re willing to do it and not be paid? Well, that’s exactly how I feel about being involved with Southern Pickleball Academy. I sincerely enjoy working with my coworkers who, like me, each bring unique talents from our days working in the business world. But the ultimate reward is witnessing the reactions from the young people (and their parents) who we are able to help get involved in the sport. It’s amazing to see them thrive, see them improve and see them enjoy the game of pickleball.

Bob Fogle teaches a "Physics of Pickleball" class

Bob Fogle, Board President

I was introduced to pickleball shortly after my retirement in 2019 and immediately got hooked on the sport.  The Southern Pickleball Academy’s mission is to promote both a healthy lifestyle and social engagement.  Children in our community benefit from this mission.  That is why I am involved.

Kiss Gunther and Cindy Ogden working at the event desk at the Reindeer Games

Cindy Ogden, Board Secretary and Finance Manager

After years of working for a paycheck, I discovered something far more valuable: the power to transform lives through pickleball. What began as my own journey from sedentary to active became a calling when I witnessed how this sport creates community, sharpens minds, and opens doors to healthier, more connected lives. As a Christian, I believe we're meant to serve others with the gifts we've been given, and as a volunteer with Southern Pickleball Academy, I get to combine my administrative skills and business background to reach people, especially youth, where it matters most: building both their athletic skills and their character for a lifetime. What could be better?

Beth Eberhard hams it up at a Dinks & Donuts event

My own "why" goes back to my childhood, when my father would rouse us from our lethargy on Sunday mornings with the last verse from A Psalm of Life, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

Let us, then, be up and doing,

   With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

   Learn to labor and to wait.

After a career of teaching young minds, I find I still have the desire to give back, to still be doing and achieving. I see the unique power of pickleball to change lives, especially in children. And I find myself in a fortunate situation of getting to use my talents and my zeal for pickleball to help others. As a bonus, I'm learning new skills and sharpening old ones. Not a bad way to spend my retirement!

So, what's the common denominator of our WHY? I believe it comes down to the desire to help others by using our passion for pickleball. And it doesn't hurt that we're having fun, learning, and making new friends while we're doing it.

Won't you join us? Connect with one of the team mentioned above or complete this brief online form.

Volunteer with the Southern Pickleball Academy