00:00We know you're a fan of Pickleball, even hosting Pickleball and Prosecco events at Connelly's.
00:07I've seen you playing even in Central Park in New York, which looked like huge amounts of fun.
00:14I'm wondering what is it that attracted you to this game in the first place?
00:18I think the first time that I played it, I was in Hilton Head Island and I was at a tennis conference,
00:25and the conference took all of the speakers as a treat to a Pickleball club.
00:30I'd never heard of Pickleball, I thought we were going to a nightclub and that's what it was called,
00:34so I even asked what I should wear.
00:36Anyway, we got there and there were 16 Pickleball courts and a lovely little pavilion,
00:40and it was 5 o'clock in the afternoon and every single court was full.
00:45And I'm thinking that's 64 people playing this, whatever it is.
00:50We had a little lesson with a coach and he taught us the rules and the scoring system,
00:55which I'm a former badminton player so the scoring system was old-fashioned badminton scoring.
01:00But what I loved about it was the fun element and the do-ability.
01:05I figured anyone can try this.
01:08The court is quite small, so someone of my age who finds the tennis court too big now
01:15is a perfect transfer out of tennis into something that will keep me in a similar game.
01:20But at the other end of the scale, I could also see how it's a great introduction to any kind of racquet sport,
01:28because it's so doable.
01:32It's a small space, a small racquet, the racquet is pretty funky,
01:35it's like a giant table tennis bat as you know,
01:37and the ball is quite funky as well with the holes in it, it's noisy.
01:42It's just fun and engaging and it's incredibly inclusive.
01:46And for Scotland, it's a perfect fit for us.
01:50We have terrible weather, but we have badminton courts everywhere,
01:54and every school, every community centre, sports centre has got badminton,
01:58even church halls have badminton courts.
02:01So in terms of setting up quickly wherever you are,
02:05I think it's a perfect fit for getting more people more active more often in Scotland.
02:10And what we're finding at Pickleball Scotland is that people in Scotland just couldn't agree with you more,
02:15because the game is now exploding in all corners.
02:19And thank you to you for being a supporter and a good friend to Pickleball Scotland
02:24in our pursuit of growing the game in Scotland.
02:27So at this event, we've got 370-some competitors.
02:33The entry, I don't know if I've said this to you already,
02:36the entry, when we opened it, filled within 48 hours.
02:40That is the incredible appeal of this game.
02:44We've got 900 matches happening over the weekend.
02:48Are you surprised in any way at the pace of the game?
02:51I'm not actually surprised at all, because of the doability of it,
02:55not just the playing of it, but I think the accessibility of it,
02:58because there are badminton courts everywhere.
03:01It's an easy transfer.
03:03I think it suits what we have in Scotland in terms of facilities anyway.
03:09But no, I've watched it on Instagram in the States ever since I was introduced to it,
03:16and the way that it has exploded in the States and in Canada is absolutely incredible.
03:22The events that are being put on, the leagues that are being run,
03:25the big-name sports stars who are investing in pickleball teams, it's absolutely huge.
03:30In Scotland, it's still just the start,
03:33and I think what you've done here with the Skechers event shows what's possible.
03:37You've outstripped the demand already.
03:40There's a great buzz about the place.
03:42It feels very relaxed, very friendly.
03:44Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves,
03:46and the level of play at the top end is brilliant,
03:49but the fact that you have categories according to ability level
03:55means that anybody can come and join in.
03:58And that's the beauty of sport, because we need to become a more active nation again,
04:03and I think pickleball has a huge part to play in that.
04:06I couldn't agree with you more, and I think this idea of it being very accessible
04:10is key to its appeal and its benefits for the people of Scotland.
04:16I'd just like to say thank you very much to you, Judy, for coming along today,
04:20and it's great to hear your enthusiasm for the game,
04:24and thank you for being a friend to Pickleball Scotland once again.
04:27You're so welcome, and I'm a huge fan of what you and your gang have done,
04:33and I know you have a wealth of international sporting experience
04:37on the playing side, the refereeing side, the administering side, the event management side,
04:42and what you have achieved in a short space of time as largely a group of volunteers
04:47with a very limited budget is absolutely phenomenal.
04:50Much appreciated. Really appreciate that. Thanks, Judy.
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