A friendly game of pickleball

Story by Staff Sgt. George Solis
California National Guard Public Affairs

RED BLUFF, Calif.--On a sunny and brisk Saturday morning, community members prepared a tennis court that's nestled within a residential neighborhood of Red Bluff, California for a game that is quite popular among the residents of the city located 130 miles north of Sacramento.

"Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America," said Karen Shaffer, treasurer of the Red Bluff Pickleball Group, "It's a very easy sport to pick up. It's a cross between tennis, ping-pong, and racquetball. It's a great sport for anybody wanting to get started in something new."

When Schaffer isn't playing pickleball, she is the supervisor of the Red Bluff Parks and Recreation Department and the city's community center. Through her work at the community center, Schaffer interacts with the California National Guardsmen that make up Vaccine Strike Team 10 who have been administering COVID-19 vaccines to the residents of Tehama County since early February.

When the Soldiers of VST 10 aren't putting vaccines into arms, they can usually be found in their respective hotel rooms just hanging out, sleeping, and getting ready for their next workday.

Schaffer saw this as an opportunity to organize a pickleball event for the Soldiers as a way to say thank you for all the work they've done so far in the community and introduce them to a sport that Schaffer enjoys...a sport that wasn't well known among the service members.

"I thought it was a pickle eating competition. I thought we were going to be bobbing for pickles," said U.S. Army Spc. Alondra Carbajal, military police with the 40th Military Police Company, California National Guard.

Carbajal, currently working as an administration personnel with VST 10, was quite relieved pickleball didn’t involve the mass consumption of brined cucumbers.

Throughout the morning, Soldiers teamed with players of the Red Bluff Pickleball Group to cover the basics of the game to include scoring, strategy, and the unique terms associated with the sport.

"The kitchen. You got to stay out of it," said U.S. Army Pfc. Marsden Shoemaker, a combat medic specialist with the 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery, California National Guard.

"You have to let the ball bounce once on the serve and once on the return. You got to let it bounce."

Carbajal enjoyed her time on the court learning this unique game even though she was heard saying through laughter, "I'm tired of losing...We need to get it together...Please just let me win."

"I'm happy we came. [Pickleball] is actually super fun," Carbajal said with a smile, "I'm definitely down to do this with the community members on Tuesday or Thursday nights as a group. But we would have to bring our A-game because this game is their livelihood."