Many adaptation strategies focus on improving short term capacity without considering long term strategies. The COVID-19 virus is teaching us that we must incorporate preventive behavioral changes if we want to continue the healthy lifestyle to which we all aspire. For example, establishing a nutrition strategy will have the benefit of increasing your body’s immune system needed to prevent or fight diseases along with enhancing your physical capacity for pickleball. It is also obvious that those who demonstrate proactive behavioral changes such as shelter in place, social distancing, frequent hand washing and not touching your face (average person touches their face 100 times per day), reduces the spread of this pandemic virus. Those unknowing or unwilling to modify their behavior will realize an increase potential for exposure to self and others. Just like learning a new sport such as pickleball, this modified behavior requires learning the basic fundamentals and foundations that will help keep you healthy and safe.
It has become highly possible that the COVID-19 virus has increased our awareness to vulnerability of unforeseen changes in not only the immediate but also the distant future. There appears to be a “new normal” upon us whereby our normal behavioral habits of camaraderie, friendships and laughter that we often receive from activities such as pickleball, is and will be changed. As a psychologist, I have always believed that life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it. Subsequently, the individual who develops effective behavioral adaptations will be in a better position to have the coping mechanisms necessary to thrive and survive. This essentially means changing the way that we normally act. This requires changes in social patterns, communication methods, feeding habits and exercise patterns. Conditions have changed and action is required to return to, maintain, or attain what we desire.
Can an old dog learn new tricks?
OAKMONT PICKLEBALL
PLAY INFORMATION
WHERE: East Rec. Center lower courts, Courts #1 and #4.
WHEN: New players (strictly beginners) Introduction to Pickleball and Coached Play (for beginners & novices), Tuesday from 9:00 – 10 a.m.
ATTIRE: Court shoes with non-marking soles.
EQUIPMENT: Balls are provided. Loaner paddles are available for introduction and coached play. These balls and paddles are for use only on the Oakmont Pickleball Courts.
NEW PLAYER CONTACT: Pauly Uhr, richuhr@gmail.com, 707-984-4186, and/or Nancy Lande, Nancy_lande@comcast.net, 707-978-2998
