Pickleball Player Profile of Debbie Pazderka

Posted by Josh K on Apr 14, 2016

Debbie and her Pickleball Medal Here is our pickleball player profile of Debbie Pazderka. Debbie loves to play pickleball and has an incredible sense of humor which you will see as you read our interview. Keep an eye out for “patient P”.

Below Debbie lists all the places she plays, and there are a lot, so if you live in her area this list is for you and we highlighted them in blue.

Not only does she like to play but it is also a family affair as her sons play with her also.

Her memory is much better than mine, that’s for sure, as she remembers the day she started playing!

Name: Debbie Pazderka
Resides In: Illinois

When did you start playing Pickleball?
March 22, 2015

How often do you play?
As often as possible!!

Where do you typically play?
Mondays at the Salvation Army on Union in St. Louis, MO;
Tuesdays at the Heights, a Recplex in Richmond Heights, MO;
Wednesdays at St. John's, a little church in Collinsville, IL;
Thursdays I have group sometimes, so don't play every Thursday;
Friday nights at Vetta, a tennis facility on Tesson, in St. Louis, MO;
Saturdays either at the Salvation Army, the Pointe in Ballwin, MO, or Riverchase in Fenton, and sometimes at Arnold before one of the other places;
Sunday evenings at Webster Groves Recplex.

That's pretty much the winter schedule, but the weather will start to get nice and we'll play at Tower Grove park in St. Louis on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights :)

I play in Edwardsville, IL, at the Y on occasion or the outdoor courts in Glen Carbon, IL, too...and at Iles Park in Springfield, IL, anytime I'm visiting friends there and the weather is nice (they have 8 designated outdoor courts that are amazing) or Hope Church inside in Springfield, if it's rainy or winter.

What do you love about Pickleball?
I love EVERYTHING about Pickleball, but mostly the people I've met and play with. Steve Altis was the first person I met and he is a great guy and loves Pickleball as much as I do! I've only been playing a little over a year, but I feel like I've known these great friends forever! I would rather play Pickleball than do anything else!! It's just so FUN! I like the noise it makes when the paddle hits the ball, I like that it's good exercise without seeming like you're exercising, I like that it starts with a P, I like learning more and more about the game, and I like trying to get better, and I love laughing and that usually happens at some point while we play :)

Have you played in a tournament before, if so which ones?
I played in the 2015 St. Louis Senior Olympics, the 2015 Illinois Senior Olympics, the 2015 Scheel's tournament in Springfield, IL, the Ballwin tournament in 2015 and 2016, Lake Forest in 2015, the Mexico MO tournament in 2016, and the Pickleball Palooza (the picture with the Wolfe paddle). There may have been a few more that I'm forgetting. I'm playing in one at the JCC this Sunday, 4.10.16, and one on 4.17.16 in Springfield, MO, and soon I'll be heading to the very first USOpen for Pickleball and I signed up to play in every event they have :)

Do you play singles, doubles, or both?
Both :) Usually doubles, but I started out playing singles with a nurse at work and we would play on our lunch hour and she would get a call and we'd say, "We're still with Patient "P"!! Lol

Have you, or as a doubles team, placed in a tournament?
Yes.

If yes, which tournaments and how did you place?

First Place - Scheel's in Singles;
First Place - IL senior O Singles
Second Place - Senior O, MO, with partner Barb Altis (but don't ask how many teams there were);
Second Place - Lake Forest with partner Leann Brand;
Second Place - in Festus at the Palooza with my medium son, Barrett Pazderka, I was using the Wolfe paddle :)

If you have been assigned one, what is your player rating?
I have not been assigned a rating.

What is your favorite Wolfe Paddle and why?
I used the one Jim Berger let me try, the one in the picture (it is a Wolfe XF).

If you used a Wolfe paddle in a tournament, which tournament was it and how did you place?
Palooza, 2nd place, with my son-it was super fun! He had only played twice before that and the second time was with a broken ankle! I have 3 sons and for Mother's Day they asked what I wanted and I said for all three of them to play Pickleball with me, and Barrett had a boot on and still played! :)

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