I'm excited about this new year for many reasons, not the least of which is that you will find me on the pickleball courts again, if all goes well. I've been a long time away. The last time I went back to the sport, I ended up in the hospital, but that broken hip is now three-and-a-half years healed. I was told not to chance it again, but I could wrap myself in gauze and still get run over. At least that's my thinking today.

I plan to give it a first go during a fundraising tournament in my active adult community on January 26th. We have a great pickleball club, and the games should be fun. Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes in a future post.

What are your resolutions for pickleball this year? I didn't used to believe in making resolutions, but now I do, because trying to better yourself as a player or bring more joy to your game can't hurt. Even small advances matter. 

Whatever you choose to work on, I wish you great success!

Recently, I've had trouble sleeping. That happens when I have too many things on my mind. But I've learned a method that helps me get past all the stuff in my brain: I concentrate on my breathing and count while I inhale and exhale.*

I only have to do this about ten times. By then I'm asleep, or I’ve allowed my mind to wander into dreams. This method works because I stop thinking about trying to sleep and focus my attention on just one thing.

Why am I telling you about sleeping in a pickleball blog?

​I approached a coach one day when it seemed like I could do nothing right on the court. I kept missing my targets. My shots went into the net or too long. The more I tried to fix my game, the worse it got.

He said, "Pick something to concentrate on. Watch the ball and see your paddle hit it. The rest of your game will fall into place."

In our efforts to make the best shots, or to break bad habits, or to try new techniques, our minds become overfull with information that is often at odds. How can you relax and still be ready to spring into action on the balls of your feet? How can you shadow your partner and watch the ball and your opponent at the same time?  How can you anticipate your opponent's next shot and think ahead to your best reply?

At times like that, focus on just one thing. Watch the ball, or concentrate only on shot placement. Concentrate on your footwork. Watch your opponent to anticipate her shot. Let the rest go, and, surprisingly, you should find that your body "knows" how to play pickleball when you get your thinking out of the way. 

*Take a long, slow breath in through your nose and count (roughly by seconds) to five—or whatever fills your lungs. Hold that breath calmly while you count to seven. Then let it out slowly through pursed lips for a count of six. Vary the numbers for what works for you, but it's best if they're all different.

It's wise to bring healthy snacks with you (along with water, of course) if you will be playing pickleball for more than a couple of hours. They should be light and easy to digest so you won't feel full or heavy when you play again.

Here are some options—and check out the tips that follow for what to eat and drink before and after play.

1. Low-fat cheese with whole-grain crackers
2. A handful of almonds, cashews, peanuts or trail mix
3. A hard-boiled egg
4. Carrots, celery sticks, or apple slices  with 1 ounce of low-fat cheese or nut butter
5. Half of a single-serving string cheese and small piece of fruit
6. Greek yogurt
7. Pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds
8. A healthy muffin or a banana
9. Half a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat bread
10. Whole-grain crackers or whole-wheat tortilla with hummus or nut butter
11. Individual unsweetened applesauce with a few dry-roasted walnuts
12. Lean meat (1 ounce) and a few whole-grain crackers

Before You Play
Carbohydrates provide a boost of energy that will keep you playing longer. An hour or so before you play, eat a high-carbohydrate snack. This amount of time allows your body to digest the food before you begin exercising.
Suggestions:

1. Whole-grain crackers, whole-grain toast, or a rice cake topped with a light coat of nut butter and half of a banana.
2. A bowl of cereal or oatmeal.
3. A low-fat muffin.
4. A fruit smoothie.
5. A boiled or poached egg.

If you must eat just before you play, try something that digests quickly. You won't have time to break down complex carbohydrates. Eat something light made up of simple carbs to fire up your energy levels and get your through the game. 
Suggestions:

1. A handful of dried fruit
2. A piece of white bread.
3. A sports drink.

After You Play
It's important to replenish the carbohydrates that were used during exercise. Now you need those complex carbs again that take longer to metabolize. Don't go for the quick, simple carbs because they will give you a sugar high that will crash later, and don't overeat. Go slowly and let your body have time to realize you've had enough.
Suggestions:

1. Lowfat chocolate milk.
2. Greek yogurt with bits of fruit or granola.
3. A banana and crackers with nut butter.
4. Lowfat cheese with fruit.

Don't forget to drink water after exercising!

If you've had an opportunity to watch a tournament and saw stacking in action, you may have wondered why the players were moving around the court, standing together, or standing outside the court completely. If you're curious about stacking and how and when to incorporate it into your game, read on.

Stacking is used during tournament play to exploit a team's strength and minimize its weakness. The technique increases the number of times a person plays on the right (even) or left (odd) side of the court.

According to the rules, the non-serving partner or the receiver's partner may stand in any position (even off the court), as long as they stay on their side of the net. Therefore, both team members may stand inside their service court, and partner of the person receiving the serve may stand outside the court at the time of the serve. 

Some examples may help explain how and why stacking works, and why you might want to try it.

3) When receiving. The players in example 1 above are receiving the serve. Judy is the receiver, and John would normally be up at the non-volley-zone line in the left court. However, since John would rather be on the right, he stands outside the sideline, just behind the non-volley zone line on the right. ​After Judy returns the service, John moves in, and Judy rushes to the non-volley-zone line on the left.

Stacking isn't something you must do, but it can help your team play better and more consistently. You can choose to stack during only a portion of the game. Stacking can confuse your opponents and is sometimes good as a way to change things up. 

If you understand what stacking is and how your team (and your opponents) can use it, you'll have an advantage over those who don't.

​Happy stacking!

One thing I know is that many (or most) of the things you learn can help you understand, do better with, or improve upon something else. So bear with me if this sounds a bit crazy. ​​

I took a break from my current writing project—an update of The Art of Pickleball--and headed to the living room. I'm not much on watching lots of TV, but I adore Shark Tank. (If you haven't watched this program, I urge you to give it a try.) I like the original sharks, but one of my other favorites is Chris Sacca, an investor in major online platforms, such as Twitter, Uber, Instagram, and Kickstarter; he also owns & operates Lowercase Capital, a venture capital fund.