Two Lafayette women are taking their love and skill for pickleball to the big leagues.

Christina McCann and Rhonnie McCauley are heading to the Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida. They will compete in the women’s doubles at the amateur level April 20.

The first time McCann and McCauley played together, they won third place at the 2021 Boos and Paddle Pickleball Tournament at the Apex Park and Recreation District in Arvada.

McCauley needed a pickleball partner last minute, and McCann was available. They said that they did not know each other very well at that point, but now they are going to the U.S. Open of Pickleball.

McCauley and McCann agreed that communication is what makes successful partners. As a doubles team, McCann said that they work on their communications on the court.

They also have participated in clinics with local pickleball professionals, to work on their strategy and footwork.

McCauley said that she is looking forward to competing at the Open. They got in by entering into a lottery that accepted amateurs to the competition, she said.

McCann confessed that she had never heard of the U.S. Open of Pickleball until she received a text from McCauley stating that she entered the pair into the lottery to get into the tournament. McCann has only been playing pickleball since August 2021, and McCauley has been dinking and banging since April of that year.

They both expressed excitement and nervousness about heading to the Open.

Pickleball is one of the fast-growing sports in the world. McCauley described it as a combination of tennis, Ping Pong and racquetball sports. Anyone, of any skill level, can play pickleball, they said.

“It’s really accessible, regardless of athletic ability or age. I’ve watched a lot of people come into the sport, who never played sports before, that can pick it up and play,” McCann said.

A pickleball court is smaller than a tennis court and many of the points scored in pickleball are made near the net or the “kitchen line.”

McCauley said that as soon as she dived in to pickleball, she could not stop.

“You get the addiction by feeling like you’re playing really well and just slamming the ball,” McCauley said.

She said that when she started, she just concentrated on getting the ball over the net. But as she got better, her focus shifted to becoming a better player.

McCann said that athletics have always been a part of her life, but it can be harder to play organized sports while also balancing a full time job. She said that pickleball can be played with either two or four people, so it can be easier to organize.

“It’s just really easy to grab a few people and just start playing,” McCann said.

McCauley and McCann are part of the Lavender Pickleball Club, a “pickleball-crazed bunch” based in the Front Range.

McCauley said that she has found a lovely community in pickleball.Pickleball » Page 10

Finding a community in pickleball after pandemic closures was a gift, McCann said. The LPC gave her a way to connect with people after a long period of isolation.

“It created a whole new community of being active and involved in sport,” McCann said.

McCauley recounted that once her friend asked her if she was going to have some “PB and J.” McCauley said she was confused, she was not particularly hungry. Her friend then explained herself, it was not “peanut butter and jelly; just rather pickleball and joy.”

McCauley has been using that phrase since.