A SPORT FOR ALL AGES BECOMES A CRAZE AMONG OLDER ADULTS THE INCREDIBLE RISE OF PICKLEBALL
Y ou’ve probably heard of pickleball, especially given its rising popularity in the United States and Canada, but you may be wondering what the big deal is about this relatively new fad. Pickleball is an awesome, low-impact sport that people of all ages can enjoy. It’s great exercise and great fun, and it’s the perfect game for family get-togethers. Pickleball originated on Bainbridge Island, Washington, in 1965. It was the creation of three fathers — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum — who needed to come up with something to keep the little ones entertained and out of their hair. Soon, however, it became popular among the adults, and they ended up spending more time on the court than their children. “Frankly,” McCallum says, “the kids got pushed out.”
full-fledged sport, complete with official rules, equipment, and leagues. Despite the more formal structure in place today, pickleball is incredibly easy to pick up and play. Investing in some paddles and balls won’t cost more than $100, and you can easily convert a tennis or badminton court for pickleball. One of the appeals of pickleball for older adults is that it is not excessively strenuous. It also doesn’t have the steep learning curve and high barrier to entry that sports like tennis or golf do. Due to the nature of a pickleball, which contains strategically placed holes similar to those of a whiffle ball, the game is much more about finesse than pure power or athleticism. While you can definitely hone your skills with practice, you’ll start having fun from day one.
adults the chance to socialize with their peers. Leagues often lead to long-term friendships. Courts are small, and each game consists of only four players, making it easy to engage in some casual conversation or playful, competitive banter between points. If you’ve never picked up a paddle, consider joining a league or buying a set for your next family outing. You can introduce your grandkids to a fun new sport — and then school them for the bulk of an afternoon.
Since its early days, pickleball has transformed from an ad-hoc game to a
In addition to being a fun form of exercise, pickleball also offers older
RING, RING — IT’S A ROBOT
What You Can Do to Protect Yourself From Phone Scams and Robocalls
Two of the most common scams are phone scams and robocalls. These calls are incredibly annoying and can trick you out of valuable information if you’re not careful. While it might seem like these scams are inescapable, there are some precautions you can take to avoid their traps. Give them the silent treatment. One thing you can do to avoid these fraudulent, time-wasting calls is to simply hang up. If possible, it is best to not answer at all. It’s always good to have a list of numbers you can reference, so you never have to guess who is calling. Think of it as going one step beyond caller ID. In some cases, answering and then hanging up can actually do more harm than good. Answering the phone gives the scammers confirmation that the number works and that they should try again. Once your number is confirmed as active, it often gets put on an “active number” list that can then
be sold to other scammers who market in these types of phone numbers. If you can’t verify who is calling without picking up, don’t answer. Let it go to voicemail. If it’s important, the person will leave a legitimate message and you can respond afterward. Put up some deterrents. You can even go a step further and block the calls. Many phone service providers offer call-blocking options, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. You can sign
up for this service in-store or on your service provider’s website. Each service costs about $4 per month. There are also a number of call-blocking apps available on Android and Apple devices, but if you subscribe to a blocking service through your phone provider, these apps are unnecessary. Finally, you can sign up for the Federal Trade Commission’s “Do Not Call” program (DoNotCall.gov). While the Do Not Call program can help cut back on calls, this list is largely ignored by scammers. If you’re getting a ridiculous number of robocalls every day, signing up can offer you some brief respite. Thankfully, Congress is already attempting to fix this problem by making it harder for scammers to call you. But until they are able to pass tough, effective legislation, it is up to us as consumers to remain vigilant and do what we can to keep our personal and financial data safe and secure.
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