8 AUGUST 2020 Left service court Service area 7 ft. Right service court 15 ft. 10 ft. 44 ft. 64 ft. 34 ft. 8 By Jennifer Marshall The racquet sport of pickleball has become so popular in the Valley that residents Andrew Seidenberg and Grant Peterson recently co- founded the Arcadia Pickleball Association to allow participants to expand their network of players within the neighborhood. Pickleball is a cross between ping-pong and tennis. According to Seidenberg, many players are former tennis players, and in fact, many Arcadia residents have converted their tennis courts into pickleball courts. At about 20 feet by 44 feet, a pickleball court is similar in size to a badminton court. Last November, Seidenberg was playing tennis with his kids at Herberger Park when he noticed what he described as “these weird little tennis courts.” These were four new pickleball courts created from half of the existing tennis courts. “I had some previous experience running sports leagues,” Seidenberg said, “and I knew software that could easily run a league and create an association.” The association launched at the beginning of May. The group, “promotes play, but we’re fun and social, too,” Seidenberg said. Currently, the APA has close to 100 followers on Facebook (@arcadiapickle) and about 20 who have officially joined the ladder. The ladder is a structure that ranks players individually based on their skill level. “Arcadia players at every skill level can join our association,” Seidenberg said. “Players find and compete against each other based on a similar skill level. Players then move up and down the ladder based on their match scores. The ranking system is totally fun. We’re more about bragging rights than being super competitive.” In addition to hosting matches in members’ backyards, the association also plays at the Arizona Country Club or on the public courts at Herberger Park. They envision the park as a place where they can one day grow the sport by providing training and skills clinics. “With pickleball, you don’t have to play at the same level to have fun,” Seidenberg said. “Pickleball is easier on the body and less intimidating than tennis, and for kids and the elderly, it’s simpler to learn than other racket sports.” While the APA is currently geared toward adult play and socialization, they hope to add children and teen clinics and programs to their organizational offerings in the future. “Down the road, our goal is to get kids involved,” Seidenberg said. “Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in America, and I won’t be surprised if it isn’t an official high school sport by the next decade.” The APA has two separate seasons. One runs January to Memorial Day, and the other spans August 1 to mid-December. Having two distinct seasons of play gives athletes a break and also allows players to reset their skill position on the ladder. For those who have improved between seasons, they have the chance to compete and rank higher. “We’re all about doing this for the love of the sport,” Seidenberg said. “We’re all volunteers; no one gets paid here. Connect with us on Facebook and come out and play with us.” READY & RECRUITING Arcadia Pickleball Association members Mark Beller, Lindsey Beller and Octavio Valenzuela. PHOTO BY ANDREW SEIDENBERG Service area Service area tennis with his kids at Herberger Park “I had some previous experience running sports leagues,” Seidenberg adult play and socialization, they hope to add children and teen clinics and programs to their organizational said. “Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in America, and I won’t be surprised if it isn’t an OFFICIAL BALL: Hard plastic, white, yellow or orange 2 3/4 inches in diameter. PADDLES: Hard-surface paddles may be made of wood, metal or graphite. The hitting surface must be non-compressible or not have holes or textures to increase the speed or spin of the ball. Paddles and grips must conform to size standards. SCORING: Serves are made underhand from behind the baseline, diagonally to the opponent’s service court, alternating from left and right. The serve and the service return must bounce once before striking the ball. After that, returns can include volleys. The server scores when the opponent fails to return the ball over the net. The game is won when a player or team has 11 points and leads the opponent by at least two points. Matches are two out of three games. Arcadia Pickleball Association looks to expand player base Pickleball is a racquet sport that combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton. It is played on a court that measures the same as a doubles badminton court and uses a ball similar to, but smaller and harder than a wiffle ball. The pickleball flies about one-third as fast as a tennis ball, on a court that is about one-third the size of a tennis court. PICKLEBALL RULES AND REGULATIONS SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PICKLEBALL ( a c t u a l s i z e ) Phone orders taken till 10:00pm Monday thru Saturday. 602-840-0630 20% off any order over $9.00! Offer expires 8/31/20. Valid with coupon only. Present coupon at time of purchase. May not be combined with any other offer. 1 coupon per person. 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9 AUGUST 2020 By Mallory Gleich A rcadia couple Bernard and Vicki Levi will celebrate their 20th anniversary this year. Although they have a celebratory weekend getaway planned, Vicki was able to gift Bernard with something even bigger and more important: her kidney. Bernard is originally from Detroit, Michigan and Vicki from Wichita, Kansas. “We always vacationed [in Arizona] and came several times a year to play golf,” Bernard said. “We spent two weeks looking at houses around Pinnacle Peak because we love that area. One morning, while staying at the Royal Palms, I couldn’t get out of the parking lot to go east, so I said, ‘let’s turn at the light,’ which is Arcadia Boulevard.” As they crossed the north side of Arcadia, they saw homes that were the same style as the ones in Kansas. “We drove across Arcadia to the other side, and I said ‘we’re done,’” Bernard said. They moved within a few months and have been here for the past three years. “Arcadia is our fabulous accident,” Bernard said. Bernard and Vicki were introduced on a blind date by a mutual acquaintance in Kansas City, Kansas, where they lived for 38 years before coming to Arcadia. Bernard worked as a cardiologist, and Vicki as a physician’s assistant, before retiring. “From ‘nice to meet you’ to ‘I do’ was four months,” Vicki said. “We both just knew.” They were married in Aspen, Colorado. Bernard was a frequent visitor but knew he wanted to be married at the top of the mountain, so he searched for a friend that could marry the pair. “Everyone was too busy. But the hotel we were at mentioned someone had married another couple last week and would I like the guy’s name, so I said sure. And it turns out he was also from Detroit,” Bernard said. He called the gentleman and found out that the officiant and Bernard’s cousin, who was also present, knew each other from back in kindergarten. They lived a couple of blocks away from each other back in Detroit. There also happened to be a medium on the gondola that took the couple up the mountain to get married. “She said ‘I’m a medium’ and I said ‘a medium what?’,” Vicki laughed. “She read our auras and said ‘you guys are good,’” Bernard said. “And she was right.” A while back, Bernard was having mild health problems, so he decided to get them checked out. During a procedure, some complications resulted in his kidneys failing. They recovered for a year until September 2019, when things got progressively worse. Bernard had high blood pressure and was feeling exceptionally groggy and tired. Before, they were a busy couple – hiking, playing tennis, and scuba diving. Bernard talked to a nephrologist (a doctor specializing in kidneys) in Kansas City, and she told him to get on a transplant list before things got worse. He was accepted into the program at Mayo Clinic. “Since I wasn’t involved in transplants [as a doctor], I had no idea that you could have a transplant without being on dialysis,” Bernard said. “I thought you had to be at the end of your life to get a transplant.” Over the next six months, Bernard’s kidneys deteriorated. At that point, the issue was focused on trying to find a donor. “I kept thinking, ‘how do you go about asking someone for a kidney? Vicki was always interested in being a donor. I never in a million years thought she could be my donor.” Vicki went through 25 appointments, lab work and testing to see if she could be a match. There was also an option called a “pairing program,” where Vicki would give her kidney to someone, and then they would give their kidney to Bernard. Soon after, Vicki got a call from Mayo Clinic and assumed they had found a match for the pairing option. “I said ‘okay, how do we coordinate this,’ and they said ‘no, you match him, perfectly.’ It’s a one in 100,000 match,” Vicki said. “I immediately started crying. I had, from the beginning, a feeling that it was going to be me.” “Mayo Clinic called in May and said ‘how about this Tuesday,’” Vicki said. Plans were then set in place for May 12. The surgery was laparoscopic and took about four hours. Now, Vicki has one kidney, and Bernard has three – two that work minimally, and Vicki’s other kidney. After a couple of nights in the hospital, Bernard’s kidneys were functioning regularly. “Within three days, Vicki was talking about tennis again,” Bernard said. “I was ready to go,” Vicki said. Unfortunately, Vicki and Bernard had to wait six weeks before getting back to their routine. Now, the pair has started their daily walks on Arcadia Boulevard, and Vicki has returned to playing tennis. They plan on spending their anniversary in Sedona in the fall. Couple celebrates 20th anniversary with the gift of life Bernard and Vicki Levi. PHOTO: VICKI LEVI It’s a one in 100,000 match.’ ‘I immediately started crying. I had, from the beginning, a feeling that it was going to be me. ” NOW AVAILABLE: FACE MASKS - MADE BY OUR EXPERT TAILORS! CALL NOW! 602.512.9003 4539 E Thomas Rd #104 | Phoenix AZ 85018 Men’s suits & accessories ❖ Expert tailoring on-site ❖ Accessories Discover our impressive selection of men’s fashion for any occasion. From high quality suits and shirts to accessories and shoes, we have you covered. All suits are tailored on-site for that custom fit. Plus, our expert tailors do alterations on kids attire, dresses, wedding dresses and casual wear. Come visit our store and let our professional staff help you find your best style!