Historically, Martin Luther King Day is an opportunity to reflect on the principles of racial equality and social change championed by Dr. King. The holiday is typically observed with events such as marches and rallies and speeches by politicians and civil rights leaders. However, a group of local pickleball players collaborated to honor Martin Luther King Jr. by organizing a lunch social and competitive play event at the Sue Colquitt Oertley Courts to celebrate diversity within their sport and community.
Joan Childs, Brian Daughtry, Edgar Diaz, Bryan Realiza, and Melanie Thatcher were the local players who coordinated the event with help from local volunteers.
For those not familiar with pickleball, it is a sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. It has gained tremendous popularity across the nation and has been recognized as the fastest growing sport in the nation.
When asked about the deeper meaning and significance of the event, Daughtry stated, “The amazing thing about pickleball is that it brings together people of different ages, races, backgrounds, and cultures. On any given day, you can visit the Statesboro courts and watch 60 year olds playing against college students.”
“Some people may consider Statesboro a small town. But we are a community full of diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. We are also a very welcoming community—and I hope this event can showcase that,” says Realiza.
Over 40 players and spectators attended the event, which was held on January 15th from 8:30am to 1:00pm at the Sue Colquitt Oertley Tennis Courts. The competitive portion of the event consisted of a “king of the hill” style doubles competition dubbed King’s Court.
The following players were awarded medals:
- First place: Chris Buxton & Jeremy Ballard
- Second place: Edgar Diaz & Kyle Meunier
- Third place: Stephen Baehman & Caleb Wilson
A lunch social was held afterwards, where local pickleball players grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for players and spectators. This was the first social event coordinated by local pickleball players.
They hope to hold more events in the future. For more information on Statesboro Pickleball events, see its official Facebook page HERE.
