with hundreds and hundreds of other people,
we dreamt an orchard this way,
and less than a year later there was a party
at which trees were sunk into the well-fed earth,
and friends this is the realest place I know,
there is a fig tree taller than you in Indiana,
it will make you gasp.
It might make you want to stay alive even, thank you;
I can’t stop
my gratitude
Excerpts from “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude” by Ross Gay

*Green Lake, April 2023 (Leica M10R, Summicron 35)*

Last year, Seattle didn’t feel quite right for me. I didn’t have a “thing” and it seemed like all of my friends did. I don’t volunteer at the Ballard Food Bank every weekend like Bryce and Nathan used to. I don’t play soccer in rec leagues all year like Anton does. I stopped mountain biking with Hunter, and his new bike group rides near Snoqualmie almost every day. I don’t go to my office or work with Parker’s young coworkers, who he would go out with every week for happy hour. I didn’t go to flight school like Ben, who learned from the same flight instructor all year. My hobbies and mood were erratic, and which friends I frequently saw were constantly shuffling around. I considered uprooting my life and moving to Los Angeles or New York City where I was sure I’d have a better shot at feeling part of something.

*Green Lake pickleball, August 2023 (Contax G2, 45mm f/2.0, Kodak Portra 160)*

I remember the first day I played pickleball at Green Lake. My friend Rachel invited me in September of last year, and I was confused because we were short of the four players needed to play doubles. I soon realized that it wouldn’t just be us, but that we would be mixing up and playing with a bunch of other people who happened to be at the courts that day. In fact, she was playing in a higher different difficultly level than me, so I wouldn’t be playing with her at all.

*Green Lake Pickleball, May 2023 (Leica M10R, Summicron 35)*

One of the strangest moments was when Rachel walked in the gate. It was as if a celebrity had appeared, and people stopped playing their games to greet her. I had heard within our friend group that Rachel was “good” at pickleball, but I had no idea she was "famous" at pickleball. With her loving personality and joyful demeanor it was obvious that people would like her, but I was surprised at the number of people that knew her. Isn’t this just a bunch of strangers in a park?

*East Green Lake beach, October 2023 (Contax G2, 45mm f/2.0, Kodak Portra 400)*

On the northeast corner of the lake sits three fenced-in tennis courts that have been commandeered with taped lines for eight pickleball courts. On summer days, upwards of 80 and sometimes close to 100 people all show up to share these courts, patiently waiting in line by stacking their paddles on the ground into groups of four. Due to limited city and high school resources, the courts are used for tennis practices and matches in the spring, and a group of pickleball players often wait patiently outside for the students to finish in the afternoons before rolling out the large nets provided by the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association.

*East Green Lake beach, April 2023 (Leica M10R, Summicron 35)*

The courts are under the usual flight path for planes flying into SeaTac International, and falcons and bald eagles are occasionally seen overhead during games. In the pathway between the courts and lake, hundreds or thousands of people walk by every day, and many stop to curiously peek through the fence and see what all the noise is about. Green Lake has always been a core part of Seattle and was formed 50,000 years ago by the same glacier that dug Lake Washington and Lake Union. It was given its English name during an 1855 survey, having been long called “dxWTLusH” by the Duwamish. The view boasts one of the best sunsets in Seattle, and a famous dock and diving board just offshore have been the subjects of photos for almost a century.

*East Green Lake beach, June 1936. Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives,* *Identifier 10564*

Rachel watched me play a game, and yelled from the sideline “Is your paddle broken? It’s making a terrible noise!”. I guess the wooden paddle my parents gave me for my birthday was not up to her standards. “That’s way too heavy”, she said as I could feel the handle jiggling around unsteadily. “Here, take my extra”. I felt sorry for having used my birthday present for less than one game, but thankful for a lighter and less embarrassing paddle.

*Peter Seitel reaches for a ball, May 2023 (Leica M10R, Summicron 35)*

I left that the courts that day both excited and intimidated. I was not great at the sport itself and I felt like I’d never know as many people as Rachel, but I kept coming back. I started playing “intermediate” difficulty, winning about as many games as I was losing and building up confidence. I would get frustrated when Rachel couldn’t play on any given day. My texts attempting to schedule became extremely persistent and almost desperate. At some point, I just started going by myself on days she was busy. I think this was an inflection point.

I’ve been playing almost every day in the year since, and I keep coming back because pickleball brings two huge benefits to my life. The first comes from the pure sport: learning instinctual reactions, building muscles and technique, and using strategic and algorithmic sets of moves that might as well be from a chess strategy book. It’s the teamwork and nonverbal communication between partners, and the situational awareness of the other team. I could write an essay about that part of pickleball, but that is not this essay. That’s because the main benefit pickleball gives me is a large network of wonderful people.

*Tux hits an overhead shot, May 2023 (Leica M10R, Summicron 35)*

I noticed a lot of characters that first day, many of whom I’d learn more about over time. An older man was wearing an entirely tie-die outfit, with bright and clashing shorts and a tie-die shirt, and a beard and demeanor that could immediately get him hired anywhere as a mall Santa. I later found out this was the father of Dalton, another player. Two guys about my age seemed inseparable because they always played as each other’s partner, and they seemed very, very cool. I now know at least one of them drives a Tesla.

I saw a very young-looking guy with a soft voice and a mean serve who I was surprised to find out has a few kids and a successful dental practice, and that several Green Lake players actually have him as their dentist. A man with grey, curly hair played a game with me, and he later told me that pickleball is the main way he connects with his son. Just last week, I played a bunch of “expert” level games with his high-school aged kid, and we proved a fierce competition.

*Portrait of Peter Seitel, April 2023 (Leica M10R, Summicron 35)*

An older guy named Peter was the first to greet Rachel that first day, and for some reason I had an instant urge to be his friend and make him laugh. I found out he’s the unofficial “mayor” of the courts and manages reservations, sends frequent emails and buys new equipment and balls— everything required for someone like me to show up on a random day and learn to play without worries. He was a major part of Kurt Streeter’s 2022 New York Times column about a lifelong tennis player’s journey playing pickleball, which features amazing photos of Green Lake pickleball by Lindsey Wasson and gave our local courts national coverage. One of the photos I took of him was printed in an east coast pickleball magazine about the best places to play in the country.

Last week, he gathered over 500 signatures on a petition sent to city council members and the real mayor to improve winter access to pickleball. Many responded, saying they firmly support his initiative, and will see what they can do. At his request, I’ll be sending an abridged version of this essay to City Hall to try to increase support.

*Megan Stansbury and Eevee, May 2023 (Leica M10R, Summicron 35)*

I remember seeing a dog who seemed as famous as Rachel and was a court favorite. This was Megan’s dog Eevee, a peaceful seven or eight year old with human qualities and the ability to calm anyone down. In the spring I frequently walked Megan and Eevee home and watch Ted Lasso at their apartment after pickleball. When Eevee passed away last month, I attended a celebration of life party on Megan’s roof with all her friends, their dogs, and Eevee’s favorite snacks.

*Carlos, August 2023 (Contax G2, 45mm f/2.0, Kodak Portra 160)*

I saw her friend Carlos that day too, who I found out is a teacher and soccer coach, and just like me, has the style of humor where you honestly can’t tell if he’s joking. He even fools me, and on multiple occasions this year has convinced me that it is his birthday. I’m not great at keeping up with all the different running jokes we have.

I noticed them both talking to Lisa, who is possibly the most genuine and thoughtful person I’ve ever met. I invited the whole friend group to my 26th birthday party and I watched as Lisa seemed to deeply connect with almost everyone there, many of whom she had met just minutes earlier. I was almost speechless after our first conversation with how honest she was willing to be, and how comfortable I felt speaking with her.

*Manky Bansal lights Megan’s 25th birthday candles at the pickleball courts, April 2023 (Leica M10R, Summicron 35)*

I later met their friend Manky at the courts, an extremely caring guy from Bangalore who always seems to be either hosting friends or visiting them somewhere else. I look forward to watching him to continue to have success within startups and am trying my best to learn all I can from him. When Megan had a pickleball birthday part, he brought an elaborate rainbow cake he made himself, complete with candles and professional packaging.

*Lucas Chaufournier throws pizza dough, August 2023 (Contax G2, 45mm f/2.0, Kodak Porta 160)*

I also remember seeing Lucas sitting in a camping chair, who I found out runs local speed-dating events and puts on that “Pitch Your Friend” night at The Dock, where people can put together a PowerPoint presentation to all in attendance on why one of their friends is unique amazing and deserves a date. He hand-made me pizza in his backyard over the summer at a gathering he organized; he’s truly talented at bringing people together.

*Lucas, April 2023 (Leica M10R, Summicron 35)*

I probably saw another favorite that first day, a local teacher who has become my favorite pickleball partner even after our rocky past. I’d almost always let him down and cost us the game, and he joked he could only handle a game with me once a month. “I’ll see you in May”, he said after we lost a game in early April, but last weekend we won fives games in a row and seemed unstoppable. I learned from his wife that although he teaches nowadays, he’s a retired investment banker. I hope to have a retirement as youthful and active in the community as him one day. He often comes to the courts either before or after attending his students’ soccer or football games.

*Kylee Richards and Tink, April 2023 (Leica M10R, Summicron 35)*

I remember seeing someone with wild curly hair that day, and I learned she was also a teacher. It soon became obvious to me that she deeply cares for her students as she would sometimes show up to the courts still thinking about her interactions in class that day, and how she can better support them. Her son is a similar age to me and I apparently remind her of him, and one time when we were playing together she started referring to me as her “other son”. After that game, I will always remember talking with her and some others with grown up children at the courts about motherhood and my relationship with my own mother. I talked about what it felt like for me to be an angsty teenager, about why I fought back so much and so hard, and about how it feels right now being a young self-sufficient adult somewhere between a child and a grown-up in the eyes of my family.

*Dalton Hess, August 2023 (Contax G2, 45mm f/2.0, Kodak Portra 160)*

I had also noticed someone handing out business cards with a discount code that first day, and I listened as he was explaining some sort of paddle technology to another player. “Woah”, I thought, “he’s pro”. I learned from his business card that his name was Dalton, the son of the tie-die bearded man, and he was indeed a pro player and repped by a local pickleball paddle company. He would later offer me two different paddles to borrow to get a feel for their weight and handling, and as I was leaving the courts I tried to give them back to him. “My phone number’s on the card”, he said, “just text me which ones you’re taking and you can use them as long as you want”. I would end up borrowing those paddles for over a month, and I only gave them back when I bought one for myself— of course I used code “DALTON10” for ten percent off.

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Dalton more and more over the past year, and he keeps doing increasingly kind things for me. He’ll buy me ice cream from the concession stand next to the courts on hot days, or he’ll offer me rides home and let me borrow countless other paddles. Just last week as I walked into the courts, he handed me an entire chicken burrito bowl and a strawberry lemonade. “They had a buy-one-get-one-free special on DoorDash and I already ate mine!”, he said. I hadn’t had dinner and wasn’t sure what I was going to eat that night, and may have passed out had I played until dark without any food.

*Green Lake, October 2023 (Contax G2, 45mm f/2.0, Kodak Portra 400)*

I also probably saw Gillian, Dalton’s girlfriend, who brings genuine joy to my heart every time I see her. We are both exceptionally bubbly and silly while playing, even after rough days where we can allow ourselves to feel what we’re feeling between games. It’s nice to be myself around someone, no matter how I am. I am almost always anxious about my behavior, that I’m talking too much or too little, but I never feel that way around her.

Nowadays, I see many of the “characters” from that early September day more than almost anyone else in my life.

*Jack and me (Photo by Henri Hardman, Leica M8, Godox Lux Senior flash)*

I started doing what Rachel did for me, and brought my friends to play with me. Henri, Jack and I would frequently go to the courts together and play with our wooden paddles and share a six-pack of beer. One day, Henri brought his camera and a flash and, hiding behind a net, took photos of us in action. Whenever anyone came to visit me in Seattle, I would make them spend all available daylight playing pickleball with me at Green Lake.

*Kevin Fagan (left) and Martin Geiger skate Wallingford after pickleball, February 2023 (Olympus AF-1, Fujifilm 200)*

When Kevin and Martin were in town from Spokane on business, they met me at the courts instead of at my house or a bar. They were so obsessed after the first day that they woke up early on Saturday morning to go to Dick’s Sporting Goods to buy themselves paddles to use the rest of their time in town. When I visited them in Spokane this past summer, we played at their local courts. When my old roommate Jackson visited from Minneapolis, we played pickleball until sunset every day, and he was an absolute hit at the courts. Everyone loved his golden retriever personality and big smile, and he fit right in.

Sometimes my girlfriend, Greta, comes to the courts and sketches the players and the dogs. My parents have met my pickleball friends. My cousins from Montana have visited the courts with my brother and his girlfriend, as part of their “tour of Seattle”. My coworker Emily and I are meeting up this Thursday to play on our day off. I know the code to the lockbox, and since I always play until sunset, I take down the nets and lock up the balls and extra paddles at the end of the night.

*East Green Lake beach, January 2023 (Fujifilm X100s)*

My therapist knows how much pickleball has helped me and stabilized my mood. “I think you need to find a way to play pickleball regularly in the winter”, he said in one session. “It seems to be the best tool we’ve got”. Maybe with that letter to City Hall, we can make that happen.

*East Green Lake beach, November 2022 (Fujifilm X100s)*

The moment from pickleball that stands out the most happened on a day where I was the most depressed I’d been all year. I wasn’t seeing friends, doing dishes, or even working. I felt useless as a person, deeply unhappy, and often completely hopeless for any future. Things had gotten really, really bad. But during a game, when I was hooting and hollering and jumping up and down, I overheard someone on the sidelines say something to the person next to them. “I think that’s about the happiest pickleball player I’ve ever seen”. I’m almost brought to tears thinking back on it. This game and these people bring out the best in me.

I realize what Rachel had that first day I showed up at pickleball. She was part of a community.

After a year, I feel deeply embedded in that community.

Matt Repplier is a 26 year old software engineer who loves photography, reflection and friends. This blog serves as his creative outlet and space to consider his experiences.

Media or questions contact: matt@mrepplier.com

This essay was exists because of Bon Iver and Ross Gay’s performance of “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude”. Please, please give it a listen.

All names used with written permission.

Unabashed Gratitude for Green Lake Pickleball

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