TUCSON, Arizona — Eleven year-old Gabe Luera would often ride his bike to the dog park at Udall.
"One day no one was at the dog park so I came here," said Luera.
"We saw this young kid just hanging out at the picnic bench," said Dominick DeCarlo. "We actually needed a fourth player."
"They asked me to play," said Luera.
"And, he's like 'Me?'" added DeCarlo.
"Once I got a paddle, I started playing," said Luera.
There was just one issue. While Gabe had seen his Nana play tennis, he had never picked up a racket.
"We taught him the game," said DeCarlo. "He didn't know the rules, so we kind of gave him a Cliff's Notes version of pickleball.
Their game lasted an hour.
"And the next day, Gabe came back right after school," said DeCarlo.
Dominick wasn't just a pickleball player those two days.
"We kind of bonded," said DeCarlo.
He was a mentor.
"He was really nice and supportive," said Luera.
It turns out DeCarlo is a youth coach who has taught the game at local Boys and Girls Clubs. Gabe is part of an initiative called All-In Youth Pickleball. It's a non-profit developed by the community to bring in underserved children into the game.
"He's learning social skills," said DeCarlo. "He's learning etiquette. He's learning manners, both in life and through pickleball so it's a fantastic opportunity for kids to learn life and be in a safe environment."
Gabe's father, Anthony, credits pickleball for his improved grades. One could say Gabe is growing up with what's considered America's fastest growing sport.
