TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The thrill of competition met the warmth of community at Ace Pickleball Club (APC) in Midtown this past weekend, as dozens of teams battled for a coveted spot in the national pickleball championships.
The event was part of a nationwide tournament among eleven Ace locations nationwide. The tournament marked a key qualifying event in the APC Championship Series, with players hoping to advance to Roswell, Georgia, and compete for a share of the $250,000 prize.
Among the players was Leonard Finkel, a Tucson resident and former tennis player who moved to Tucson nearly two years ago after scouring the country for a year and a half for the perfect place to retire. Initially skeptical of the sport, he soon found himself hooked.
“My wife tried to get me to play a couple of years ago, and I didn’t really want to do it,” Finkel recalled. “I finally went out there, and I got the bug. I play every day—four, five, sometimes six hours at Udall Park. I even have my own throne and a sign that says, ‘Leonard’s Place.’”
Despite his enthusiasm, Finkel faced some first-tournament jitters.
“Unfortunately, this was my first tournament,” Finkel said. “I can’t believe I was nervous and I stunk. But I’m ready to play another tournament at the end of the month because I got my nerves out.”
For Finkel, pickleball is less about trophies and more about the camaraderie. “It’s the community,” he said. “Pickleball people are just nice people.”
That sense of community also resonates with Shayla Remley, who started playing with her fiancé and found a supportive network of friends.
“I’m a stay-at-home mom, so I understand why so many moms are drawn to pickleball,” Remley said. “We have a great group at Udall Park and another here at ACE. It’s really social and a lot of fun.”
Curtis Simpson, another Tucson player, echoed those sentiments. “I was sitting at home, not doing much beyond my usual workouts,” he said. “Since I started pickleball, I’ve met so many cool people. Now, I’m playing tournaments and meeting even more people.”
Thomas Gist, operating partner of Tucson’s Ace Pickleball Club, says the location has attracted hundreds of members since opening in October. He reflected on the recent surge in the popularity of pickleball.
“It’s wild right now,” he said. “Everybody is into it. It’s at parks, it’s in schools. Hopefully, it stays on the same trajectory and we can open more clubs like this.”
He says the sport offers a lower barrier to entry than many other sports, such as tennis. “All skill levels can play, whether you have a background in sports or don’t,” he said. “For older generations, the court is smaller than a tennis court so there’s not as much movement needed to chase down the balls.”
The weekend’s tournament is just the beginning for Tucson’s ACE Pickleball Club. Another qualifier is scheduled for March, with additional events planned throughout the year.
To participate, players must be Ace members. More details about the club and upcoming tournaments can be found at the Ace Pickleball Club website.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
