DERBY, Vt. (WCAX) – Thursday was National Pickleball Day. It may be just a game, but for this week’s Super Senior, it’s so much more.
In the Northeast Kingdom town of Derby, Al Loukes holds court when it comes to Pickleball.
Every day, scores of seniors play this game with a passion. “In this area, there’s a whole lot more than tennis,” Loukes said. He brought the sport to Derby and Newport 15 years ago and it has been in full swing ever since. “It’s the fastest-growing sport in the U.S.”
If you combined tennis, badminton, and ping pong, you’d get Pickleball.
Reporter Joe Carroll: What do you call this, a summer camp of sorts?
Al Loukes: It’s a senior summer day camp.
The group plays with a passion behind the Derby town offices.
“It’s a sport that almost anyone can play,” said 80-year-old Jack Patterson, one of the regulars.
“Look at them, it brings smiles to all these faces,” said Jack LaFlame, 81.
“It has it over just regular plain old exercise,” said Eric Nitsch.
Loukes and the other “day campers” dodge cracks and grass on the courts that have seen better days.
Loukes helped secure funds to build new courts.
Reporter Joe Carroll: So you don’t think this is a fad?
Al Loukes: No, no, this is not a fad. This is here to stay.
And so is Loukes. He grew up in Newport and spent his summers boating on Lake Memphremagog. After college, he left the area for a 30-year career with IBM.
Of course not all memories are blissful. Loukes’s health was challenged a decade ago. His wife Jewell received the sobering news from the doctor. “His words to me, ‘I’ve got good news and bad news.’ He says the bad news is he has to have a triple bypass, the good news is that he’s here at the hospital,” Jewell recalled
Reporter Joe Carroll: It was that serious?
Jewell Loukes: Yeah. They wouldn’t let him leave.
Loukes fully recovered. He’ll be 84 in a few weeks. The couple spend much of their time walking, biking, and then there’s pickleball. “I just wanted older people to stay active, and I’ve done it,” Loukes said. “I just love to see the people out, like we saw today. Every one of them — we had a great time today. So, that’s my reward.”
An ace by any measure.