Inside Recreation
Go behind the scenes with Montgomery County Recreation to learn all about the latest trends in recreation and resources available in Montgomery County.
Inside Recreation
MCPS Students Travel to China for Pickleball Diplomacy
In this episode of Inside Recreation, guest host Monika Hammer speaks with MCPS students Trinh Au, Ryan Corkery and Safae Elalami about their adventure to China earlier this year for MCPS' Pickleball Diplomacy initiative, as well as Recreation Supervisor Mark Comer on pickleball classes and leagues with Montgomery County Recreation.
Thank you for joining us for another episode of Inside Recreation. I'm your guest host, monica Hammer, and today we're going to be talking about the fastest growing sport in the US pickleball. I'm joined by some wonderful guests today, some MCPS graduates who have a really exciting trip that they're going to be talking to us about. I'm going to let you guys introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about your background and why you're here talking to us about. I'm going to let you guys introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about your background and why you're here talking to us today. We'll start with you, Trinh.
Trinh:Hi, I'm Trinh. I'm from Clarksburg, maryland. I graduated recently this spring at Clarksburg and I started playing pickleball around two years ago, starting with just friends and family. It was like a trend at the time Y'all just want to play sports together and have fun together, and seriously I mean. It slowly got more competitive. We played more and more and then slowly I joined the pickleball team last fall and then it led to the opportunity for me to go to China and play with friends I didn't know before and this amazing experience we had in China.
Monika:That's so cool, and one of those people I'm sure you met was Ryan. Ryan, tell us a little bit. My name is.
Ryan:Ryan Corkery. I just graduated from Sherwood High School. I'm from Derwood, maryland. I started playing pickleball a few summers ago. I was on vacation, like Trih. At first it was friendly with friends, but I'm very competitive, so it quickly turned into how good could I get at pickleball in this week? I got good at pickleball in the week, or I tried my best to, and after that week it just kept going back. I had to play pickleball. I tried my best to, and after that week it was just kept going back. I had to play pickleball. I had to get better, and not only was it something that I could see myself improving in, it was so fun. I play lacrosse, I played football, but nothing you couldn't see. You could directly see the work I was putting in to, how I played and that was really like encouraging for me while playing pickleball. But yeah, like Trinh said, we went to China Most crazy life-changing experience of my life, met so many cool people, had so many cool experiences. And yeah, thank you pickleball.
Monika:Awesome, and Safae, introduce yourself for us please.
Safae:Hi, my name is Safae Alami. I just graduated from Kennedy. I grew up in Rockville, moved around a bit and I actually did not know what pickleball was up until like maybe like a few months before the trip. And we had a lot of training sessions before the trip to get to like familiarize ourselves with pickleball and like how to play and the rules and like all of that, and so throughout those lessons we had at Dill Dinkers. That's how I got into the sport and it was really easy to pick up and, like Trent and Ryan, I'm really competitive. So I started playing outside the training sessions and we still play together time and time after the trip. I really love the sport. I definitely see myself playing it in college, like maybe on a club team or something like that.
Monika:Yeah, awesome, thank you all. And we also have with us today Mark Comer, who's a recreation supervisor on our countywide programs team overseeing sports. We're going to talk to Mark a little bit later, after we connect with you guys, a little bit more about your trip. So, china, as student ambassadors playing pickleball, jump right in. Tell me a little bit about how that experience was this past spring.
Trinh:It was honestly so surreal because we were able to connect with other students in China.
Trinh:They also, surprisingly, have never played pickleball before.
Trinh:They've only started playing once they found out that we're going to meet them in China and lots of them have a strong background in tennis, which definitely helped them a lot as they're joining through pickleball, because it's so similar and the sports definitely correlate a little bit with like different, like strokes, like forehand and backhand and just on a smaller sense, like a smaller little court, which was really cool. So in China we were able to play with them. So each student that went to China, we all paired up with one Chinese student varying from like ages, from middle school to high school, and we played three times in the three different cities Shanghai, shenzhen and Beijing and we played with them a friendly match, three matches, and we just hung out with them the whole day, for the whole city day, and it was really fun to be able to meet with them, connect with them on a further level, farther than Pickleball, more than just playing and then not seeing them again. We were able to hang out with them. We went shopping with them one day.
Ryan:It was really, really fun, awesome ryan, tell me a little bit about how your journey was yeah, I mean it was so interesting because me, Trinh and safae, we all went on the same trip but we each had our own unique experiences and our own unique like takeaways from the trip. For me it was, of course, there's pickle, there's pickleball. I love pickleball, but the pickleball helped us build these lasting friendships that we still. We still talk to the Chinese kids today on various social medias. But, um yeah, terry, our production manager for the documentary, he had all of us say one word that describes the trip, and my word was friendship, and I think that just reiterates the fact that pickleball, while a sport, while competitive, it's great for social environments. I didn't know them before. We played pickleball together and now we're sitting here together. We play pickleball a few times, not a few times a week, maybe a few times a month.
Ryan:But, yeah, it's just amazing. The China trip it. It gave us these like once in a lifetime experiences, but it also gave us lasting impressions of each other and the sport of pickleball.
Monika:Yeah, definitely a great way to connect with each other, make new friends, meet new people. You mentioned the documentary. This great documentary was produced highlighting the trip that you all went on To see all the different elements and to see right, not just connection with pickleball. You know all the different recreation activities that you were able to enjoy and participate and learn about, anything from dance to martial arts. I saw some of that karate demo.
Trinh:I saw your little shout out in the documentary Ryan.
Monika:Proficient now. Yeah, so Safae, tell me a little bit about what it was like to learn about some of those other types of program sports activities.
Safae:Yeah, of course, think that, um, they talked a lot about us actually playing pickleball and connecting with the students, but while in china we had, like there was a lot of cultural exchange and a lot of, like new information and knowledge that we gained from the trip, not just like long lasting connections. We went to, uh, various museums that talked about the history. We went to a ping pong museum and how it merged in China and just it also mentioned pickleball and it was really cool because we saw, um, it mentioned the U? S and like kind of how the U S had a had a role in the sport developing in China and just how those connections have grown over the years.
Safae:And we've done a lot of things. We did a lot of things in china that just was more academic and use this. You know, we used more our brains. Um, we this. One day we went to a high school and it was like a boarding school and so it was really really huge and we had this um, it was like an environmental how do you? How would you say?
Trinh:it was climate change?
Safae:yeah, it was like a climate change like kind of like seminar, and it was a group discussion, like we got split into groups and we talked about like we used like our knowledge from school taking, like AP environmental science or IB environmental science, and we just used what we knew from America and we brought it in collaboration with the Chinese kids and we, you know, came up with a lot of different climate change solutions. And it was really cool because it was like we weren't just there to, you know, like mess around or, you know, just have fun. We also tried to come up with things that could actually better our future and you know, they place a lot of emphasis on like youth. We went to China to play pickleball and we were the main focus and I think they were doing that to uplift us and kind of like create a really strong foundation for us to be the voices of tomorrow. And we went to other museums as well, a lot of like AI museums and like new technology. China's really advanced.
Safae:So it was really cool to see. So I think it was really interesting. Not only that we got to better our skills playing pickleball and socialize, but we also got to learn a lot of new things.
Monika:That's so cool and I know our friends over in the Montgomery County Government Department of Environmental Protection sure would love to hear all about your climate change solutions and initiatives.
Monika:It's a big, important initiative for the county, absolutely. One of the reasons we wanted to bring you all to chat today is because of this. You know, multicultural exchange and showing that recreation is really for everybody, for all ages, for every single member of the family, all cultures and abilities. That's our mission here at the department. I want to bring in Mark to talk a little bit to us today about the different types of offerings we have here at Montgomery County Recreation when it comes to sports and specifically, pickleball offerings for those who are interested in getting started.
Mark:Yeah, absolutely. Thanks, monica. So I'll start like them. I'm a Blake graduate in MCPS and unfortunately we didn't have pickleball when we were growing up. So we know pickleball is extremely popular, especially with our seniors, and our senior programs around the county are offering a lot of pickleball options. Our rec centers are offering open gym pickleball for some of our seniors and some of our adults.
Mark:But us in countywide we don't like being left out, so we figured we'd jump on as well. And with pickleball it's huge. Right, it's the fastest growing sport. It's not just seniors, it's not just young adults, it's kids as well high school age younger. It's the fastest growing sport. It's easy to get involved, it's accessible for everybody, it's a low cost to start with pickleball, so it's really something that anyone can play.
Mark:So for us we have pickleball activities for children as young as three years old through countywide programs. So it's something that we recognize that the sooner you get started, just like any sport, the quicker they'll grow that love for, and a lot of times parents like to pass on their passions to their kids. So getting kids involved at a young age is extremely important to us, and then we jump into some of our leagues and our clinics where we're offering those for beginner level, for intermediate level, for advanced level. We're really trying to open it up for anyone, whether they're brand new to pickleball or they've been playing a little bit or they consider themselves an expert. Montgomery County Recreation has an opportunity for them.
Mark:So our ladder leagues are great so you can really see yourself and compare yourself to some of the other people in the county who are also competing in pickleball. And then our clinics, regardless of your skill level, help you develop so that you can get into those social settings and maybe you're a little bit better and now you're showing off a new skill or a trick that last time you played with your buddies you didn't have. So for us really being able to offer that is huge and we think that it really reaches everyone in the county. We also offer therapeutic recreation pickleball. So we really are trying to get into every demographic in the county, regardless of your age, your skill level, your ability. And that's what us at Countywide really taking that next step to expand beyond that stigma of pickleballs, for for old people Right.
Mark:It's not for old people, it's for everybody. And Montgomery County Recreation following the lead of MCPS, of course, you know jumping in and really going full scale with pickleball, seeing that this is, this, is here to stay. It's not just a flash in the pan sport, and we like to think that we have an offering for everyone.
Monika:Yeah, and you know, our wonderful graduates here told us about how easy it was for you to pick it up. Mark, tell us a little bit about what you might say to somebody who feels nervous to get involved or nervous to learn about playing pickleball.
Mark:Absolutely so. Nerves are normal when it comes to any sport. But the main thing is, like I touched on earlier, it's extremely easy to get started. You really don't have to be super skilled. Right, you talk about basketball. You don't have to be tall like you need to be in basketball, or big like you're in football, or super fast to run track and field. None of that stuff. It doesn't matter what you look like, your size, your shape, your experiences prior to getting involved in pickleball. You can play, you can learn right, no-transcript tennis, but you like playing racket sports.
Mark:Pickleball is the option for you. Right Again, being able to compete in something where everyone's starting at the same level. This isn't something that's been around really at this scale for decades and decades and decades, where you know you hear all those stories about professional athletes. Oh, I was one year old and my dad put a X Y Z in my hand and now I'm this. That's not pickleball yet. So it really does allow anyone at any level to get involved.
Mark:And then the cost again, it's not super expensive. A lot of our programs through Montgomery County Recreation, we provide most of the equipment so you can get started and not need to do anything. Otherwise, you're really just looking for the paddle and then you can jump into an outdoor court, an indoor court, through our rec centers or facilities around the county. It's really something that anybody can get involved with and you don't need to have that experience right. You can jump in, learn it on the fly. You could watch a couple of videos before you come, so you have a base knowledge. Either way, you'll be welcome. The pickleball community is great. It's not one of those super competitive exclusive communities, and these three are showing that everyone welcomes everybody regardless of their background, and it's really an incredible thing.
Monika:Thank you, Mark, for sharing all that really helpful information for our listeners, and if you're interested in learning more about recreation programs, including pickleball, you can always visit our website, mocoreccom for more information, including finding the schedule at our recreation centers for Drop and Pickleball, if you want to stop by and play and check it out. I want to revisit the documentary a little bit. Right, it was really cool to watch it back and see your experience experience. Tell me a little bit about how it feels having been a part of the documentary and getting to go to the special premiere for it and having that you know to capture the memory for a lifetime. Safae, you want to tell me a little bit about what makes you feel.
Safae:I think that on our own, we did a lot of documentation.
Safae:I'm sure we have our infamous group chat being chilling. That, you know, captured so many memories and so many laughs, but a lot of people, what you guys obviously didn't see was the other side of cameras and what we saw. And so everywhere we went in China, we had, like, this massive camera crew following us around. It was crazy. We felt like, um, celebrities and obviously like Americans in China, like they're not like you. You don't always see Americans in China, so a lot of people would come up to us uh, ask for pictures, um, especially in, like, large city centers, and it was. It was really a crazy experience. I don't think I've ever, you know, been surrounded by that many cameramen before, but I think it was a really cool experience. I'm glad that you know, if we didn't catch something, there was a team that was, you know, catching us in some crazy moments and I'm really grateful for everyone that helped out on the production, so awesome.
Monika:Ryan or Twin, do you have anything to add?
Ryan:yeah, um, safae covered a lot of it, but, um, it was just so cool to see we had I mean, like she said, we had cameras around us at all times. I think at the end there was a folder over 10,000 photos of us over the course of the trip. But, um, of course, those photos are nice, but we also took our own photos. Shout out my spam, pop the cork.
Ryan:I think I posted like 200 photos on there of just random moments, but it's nice to see that. Um, also the documentary and pictures that we took. We captured every little moment and so when you go back and I think about China, I'm like, oh yeah, you know, we went to Shanghai, we saw the beautiful skyline. And I look back and it's Santi, one of the kids we went with on the bus sleeping. It's just fun little memories like that.
Ryan:And I think that's what makes it so memorable for us. Like, of course we went to China, but the small moments really made the trip for us. And of course we went to China, but the small moments really made the trip for us. And the documentary the documentary was amazing. Shout out Terry. Terry McClung. He did an amazing job. I love the way that it's set up to, where he covered every part of our day and he also showed the impact that we had on the students and that the students had on us. It wasn't, of course, it was centered around pickleball, but it was centered around the relationships we were building.
Monika:Awesome. Thank you, and if you want to check out that documentary, it's available online on the MCPS YouTube page. I encourage watching it. It was really fun to see all of the different things that you got to experience. Now you've graduated from the MCPS high schools, you were all in and you're off to your next big adventure. Do you think Pickleball is going to stick with you? I'd love to hear a little bit more about that.
Trinh:So I'm attending the University of Connecticut next fall oh, this fall actually. I'm so excited they have a very big Pickleball club, which I was so surprised by. I recently just came back from orientation and they opened us to the different clubs they offered and one that really stood out to me was the Pickleball Club and surprisingly, it's a huge club that they have. They have tournaments around different states, like they have tournaments in the summer in Virginia and Maryland, up back in Connecticut, pennsylvania, and I love how, like, there's so many students engaged and involved in this club and there's, surprisingly, already 150 members, wow, yeah. So I'm very excited for that and play, to play pickleball again with new people and a new environment and people I'm gonna be spending my time with up for a very long time.
Monika:Yeah, what a great way to make new friends and connect with different people from different parts of the country. What about you, ryan?
Ryan:Um, unfortunately for Trinh, umd also has a pickleball club. You will be seeing UMD beating UConn a few times. But yeah, it's definitely a part of my future. I'm definitely excited to play Me and Safae before the show. We're talking about how we're going to play during our school years because luckily, we're both staying at home, but it's just, yeah, just reinstating that lasting pickleballness.
Monika:I love that lasting pickleballness Catchphrase coined here.
Safae:I'm going to be attending American university in the fall and so I'm currently unaware if they do have a pickleball club or not. We haven't had orientation yet, but I'm really interested in finding out and I definitely think that pickleball is something I want to pursue, maybe even something like a club I start. If we don't have one, I'd be really interesting in getting that started, because unfortunately, pickleball isn't offered as a collegiate sport yet. However, I do hope in the coming years that that is something that's implemented like countrywide. I think that would be amazing to see like D1, d2, d3 pickleball. But yeah, for now I'm not sure, but it will definitely stick with me.
Monika:Awesome, you took it right out of my mouth, right? If they don't have it, start it on your own. Keep it going. Come back and play with your friends and fellow trip mates when you're back in the area.
Monika:Wonderful, thank you, wonderful. Thank you. And thank you all for being with us today and chatting with us here on Inside Recreation, telling us all about the great and awesome once-in-a-lifetime experience that you had with MCPS, and again to Mark for telling us a little bit about you know our recreation offerings so that folks who are interested in it, after hearing you all chat about your experience with Pickleball, can join with us here at Montgomery County Recreation. Thanks for tuning in to Inside Recreation. We'll be back to chat with you again next month.
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