As the priority of June 16 is to highlight the importance of the youth’s impact on society, representatives of Pickleball South Africa took their time to share their knowledge of the sport with a few young talented tennis players from Yeoville.
CEO Allon Rock, together with Darren Zidel, president of Pickleball South Africa were more than pleased to welcome long-time friend, coach Mike Nkosi and his players to the Wendywood Sports Club and Recreation Centre on June 16.
Nkosi, who has been a Yeoville public figure for more than three decades, has always had an eye for spotting talent in his community. The coach travelled with 14 of his players to the Wendywood facility in honour of Youth Day.
On arrival, each player was given a pickleball racket, balls and a brief background on the sport followed by the rules. It only took a matter of minutes for the players to fully grasp and master the art of pickleball. This left members of the association including Devon Milton, ambassador of pickleball in a state of shock and amazement.
“For Youth Day we invited our dear friend, coach Mike and his players to experience some pickleball action. Coach Mike has done extraordinary well in producing talent at the Yeoville Recreation Centre, it was an honour to have them here. We played singles and doubles with the kids and one word sticks in my mind when seeing them play, amazing,” said Rock.
“This day was made possible with Aquazania who provided refreshments and paid for the transportation of both the coach and the kids. Panarottis from Morning Glen Mall were able to provide lunch and milkshakes. We are truly grateful for the support in making this possible.”
Nkosi expressed his opinion on the sport and the day. “We honestly thought it was a waste of time before playing, but experiencing it now, we see a lot of benefits. It helps the kids with quick reaction, it is also fun and competitive. We thank the association for the wonderful day.
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