Trying, Training, and Having Fun at WFA SwitchPlay Pickleball

I’ve been playing more pickleball lately, and I really wanted to get better before joining the WFA SwitchPlay Pickleball event at MET Park Sports Center in Pasay. I actually tried my best to work out more, train, and practice because, of course, I didn’t want to show up completely unprepared. I wanted to play better, understand the game more, and hopefully see some improvement once we were actually on the court.

The event itself was really fun and very organized. It was basically an open play event for women, so there were a lot of opportunities to play, meet other players, and just enjoy pickleball without it feeling too intimidating. There were also coaches around who could help with technique and give advice, which was really helpful, especially for people who are still learning or trying to improve their game.

They even had a pickleball machine that could continuously feed balls for practice. I really liked that because you could work on your shots over and over again and actually focus on getting the movement right. There were so many little ways throughout the event to practice and learn while still keeping everything fun.

I played with my sister Camyl, and despite all the practicing and training I did beforehand, unfortunately, winning just really wasn’t for us that day. We didn’t win any of our open games, but we still had such a fun time playing together. Of course, I wanted to do well, especially because I had been putting more effort into practicing, but I also realized that sometimes you just have to enjoy the game and keep playing until you eventually get better.

What made the morning even more fun was having our own little pickleball group there. Aside from Ate Camyl and me, my college friend Marjo was there with her sister Marlou and their friend Stephanie. It became one of those mornings where you’re exercising and trying to improve, but at the same time you’re also just hanging out with people you enjoy being around.

That’s probably one of the things I’m starting to love most about pickleball. Yes, it can get competitive, and obviously I would love to start winning more games, but it’s also such a social sport. You get to meet people, play with different partners, learn from coaches, laugh about your mistakes, and then try again during the next game.

WFA SwitchPlay was a really nice way to experience that. It gave women a space to play, practice, learn, and just have fun on the court regardless of their level. I definitely still have a lot to work on when it comes to pickleball, but at least now I have even more reason to keep practicing.

And hopefully, next time, Ate Camyl and I can finally get that win.