Ray Hayward
It began with a wiffle ball and an idea. Then it gained momentum, first among active adult developments, then high schools and college campuses and communities across the country. Now it’s often referred to as the fastest-growing sport in America. It’s pickleball! And its growth in one community in particular caught the attention of Quail Creek Pickleball Club member Jeff Uhler and Green Valley Recreation member Kirk Cross—prisons.
Pickleball was introduced to an incarcerated population at the Cook County Jail of Chicago in 2017 by Roger Belair, a retired businessman from Washington State. After viewing a CBS 60 Minutes segment investigating conditions at the jail, Roger felt strongly that pickleball would be a positive force for these men. So, he started a successful program there. Since then, his movement has spread to more than 50 institutions in 17 states, Canada, and the UK. (Watch soon for a documentary currently in production featuring Roger and his compelling story.)
Inspired by Roger’s efforts and thanks to the warden and staff at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Tucson, Jeff and Kirk collaborated to start a program at the Manzanita Unit there. The inmates prepared and painted a court on their outdoor basketball court. Jeff and Kirk provided a portable net, plus donated paddles and balls, courtesy of the Green Valley Recreation Pickleball Club. There are now dozens of men at the Manzanita Unit playing pickleball daily, rotating play on a single court. One of the men, Chuey, took the lead. He schedules play for his fellow inmates. Below is an excerpt from an article he wrote for the prison newsletter:
“Over the last four weeks, I have had the opportunity to play regularly, and it has made my life immeasurably better. Playing pickleball has allowed me to see the things I didn’t like about myself and begin to improve in those areas. I was able to see that my fitness level wasn’t where I needed to be, so I made a change and began a new HIIT training class for the yard. Being in prison is difficult at many levels, but with the addition of pickleball, I feel a little more free each day and look forward to playing when I am released. Jeff and Kirk have given me a new outlook on life and a feeling that I am greater than what my circumstances dictate.”
Jeff and Kirk look to expand the program to additional units at the prison.