Los Cab Sports Village

2 ❘ LOS CAB LIFE ❘ December 2017 A GROWING PASSION ■ PICKLEBALL IS BEGINNING TO CATCH ON AT LOS CAB I t's not an Olympic sport yet, but since beginning in the '60s as a way to get kids active by incorporating elements of bad- minton, tennis and table tennis, Pickleball has grown into a sport eagerly embraced by adults for its enjoyment and fitness benefits. That's why Los Cab now offers organized outdoor Pickleball open to all Tennis Members for two-hour periods on Court 23. Currently, there's a group of about 30 members that play Monday and Tuesday from 9-11 a.m., and Fridays 10 a.m.-noon. "It's a very fun group and they welcome anyone to join," said Events Coordinator Thao Le. "It's a great way to get started." Le describes Pickleball as being "a low-impact, high-cardio sport. Tennis members love to play, with or without prior injuries. The courts are smaller and it's easy on the knees and shoulders." The group is led by Hillary Johnson, who recently stopped playing tennis regularly due to the toll on her knees and shoulders. "But she really missed the courts," Le said. "She came across Pickleball and decided to bring it to the community that she loves at Los Cab and has been playing ever since. Best part is her knees and shoulders don't hurt when she plays!" T hanks to some favorable weather, the refurbishment of the Los Cab pool is on sched- ule, according to Los Cab's Mike Kane. By the first week in December, a new filter system and chemical control system will be installed and a new finish in- side the pool will be applied. Kane expects the pool to be back open on January 2. "When completed, there will be noticeable differences that will be visible, such as the new pool finish and new lane lines," Kane said. "Behind the scenes, the work being done will help serve us for another 20 years." WORK GOING SWIMMINGLY AS POOL REFURBISHMENT APPROACHES COMPLETION ON THE COURTS YOUTH TENNIS ............................. SCHOOL IS IN! O ne of the reasons Los Cab is a vital cog in the thriving machinery of Southern California tennis is the Los Cab Junior Tennis Academy. Founded by Mark Hirtler in 1985, the academy has exposed countless local juniors to the game and worked with them at every level of their playing careers. The academy, held year- round on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 p.m., is for boys and girls ages 7 to 17 and all levels of players are welcome. "Junior players are grouped by ability, and the emphasis of the program is fun and funda- mentals," Hirtler says. But along with teaching ten- nis, Hirtler prides his academy on also teaching life lessons. "We strive to create an envi- ronment of cooperation and game development for all," he said. "The class forms an out- standing peer group with com- mon goals – no phones, video games or TV. Just good old- fashioned sport." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > LEARN MORE about the Los Cab Junior Tennis Academy. Los Cab's Pickleball players.

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