Pickleball debut a ‘smash hit’
On a sunny Wednesday in November, the Central California Women Facility Main Gym came alive with enthusiastic shouts and the squeaking of sneakers on the polished floor, as residents practiced the skills freshly taught by Roger Bel Air, pickleball O.G. extraordinaire.
Coach G. Martinelli was ahead of the curve, readying the gym upon its post-Covid reopening: refinishing floors, taping court boundaries, and testing the pickleball equipment provided by Heidi Wipple of the California Department of Recreational Programming.
Warden Anissa De La Cruz, Chief Deputy Warden Cynthia Rojas, and Peer Literacy Mentor Program (PLMP) Supervisor Speir jumped into the rotation, practicing along with residents and pickleball coaches. De La Cruz and Rojas revealed their athletic and slightly competitive edge, as their returns gained speed. Warden De La Cruz made history on this action-packed day by sharing the court with residents and staff alike. Though this was their first pickleball experience, De La Cruz and Rojas elevated their game so quickly that observers thought they’d had practice.
De La Cruz commented, “I really enjoyed myself, watching all of you play. It’s a great stress relief. We were laughing, really enjoying it; I’d come out and play again.”
Representing CCWF with impressive skills were Martinelli and Speir. Their game was on another level. While just about anyone can learn basic play, Martinelli and Speir showed their pickleball prowess, driving the ball low and fast, or volleying at breakneck pace. Wipple saw rehabilitative opportunity, as well as a fun and accessible way to exercise.
“Pickleball is a catalyst for change…it’s a universal language for the population to break down barriers and learn lessons,” she said. Citing the growing popularity of pickleball organizations in the free world, she continued, “It’s something you guys can also take back to the community, which helps normalize reentry.”
Coach Bel Air brought his game, plus a media entourage filming for a documentary featuring nine institutions, which is slated for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Bel Air has been teaching pickleball for 14 years. In 2016, “60 Minutes” featured his introduction of pickleball to a Chicago jail. He subsequently started bringing the sport to prisons in 10 states, starting with San Quentin in California and Riker’s Island in New York.
Bel Air said, “I’m a lifelong learner. I’m passionate about promoting activities that create better health and wellness by getting people moving. It’s conducive to growth, when you have things that motivate you to learn new knowledge.”
Bel Air is working with Martinelli to create a short, introductory video for GRP-TV or for in-room viewing at CCWF.
Pickleball is roughly a cross between traditional tennis and table tennis (ping pong). Players use a court slightly smaller than a tennis court, with a lower net. They hit a bright orange, lightweight ball with paddles which have evolved from wood to the contemporary carbon fiber. The sport’s inception came in the 1960s, when Barney McCollum and a group of neighborhood friends on Washington’s Bainbridge Island started playing with a standard wiffle ball. According to Bel Air, one guy’s dog, Pickles, kept grabbing the ball and running with it. After chasing Pickles down enough times, the group named the sport after “Pickles’ ball,” though this story has been disputed.
Speir was originally inspired by a fellow teacher, a woman in her 70s who had a pickleball court in her yard. After she and her husband initially defeated the super-athletic Speir and his friend, he joined a pickleball club and started honing his skills.
Speir sees pickleball as a great fit for CCWF because, “it’s an easy enough game where anyone can play and experience the idea of ‘I can do this.’ Later, (players) can discover the advanced levels and the variability of play.”
Martinelli was instrumental in hosting this special event for residents with Bel Air and has put some sweat and heart into providing free play opportunities for residents on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Main Gym. Martinelli envisions an eventual pickleball tournament to provide a healthy challenge with some positive competition.
(Priority ducats are required for the Main Gym; send a Form-22 to Coach Martinelli.)
