PICKLEBALL
78 Year-Old Energy
Don Seibert Leads the Way in Bringing Pickleball to High Schools
I met Don Seibert the old fashioned way, through networking. He reached out to me in my capacity as the President of the Cincinnati Pickleball Club, to ask my perspective on how to grow pickleball in high schools.
Don and I share a passion for pickleball. We also share a passion for introducing the sport to others and inspiring young people to be the best version of themselves they can possibly be.
Don’s passion is next-level though. In the few months since we met, he created a 501(c)(3) focused on raising money to grow the sport among high school players and marshaled others’ time, talent, and treasure to teach pickleball in roughly one third of northern Kentucky’s 40 high schools.
If you’re even remotely interested in pickleball you have probably read about the health benefits of the sport. Most players will swear by the sport’s tendency to make them feel more energetic and focused. While I didn’t know Don pre-pickleball, he seems like the poster child for pickleball energy.
At 78 years old, Don has the energy and focus of someone many years his junior. He chalks up his drive to being a life-long entrepreneur who sold an IT company and retired at age 51. I chalk up his energy to pickleball.
Don is an amazing example of leaning in and giving back. Driven to share the sport he loves, he has taken his entrepreneurial focus and directed it to introducing the sport to teenagers.
I’m guessing more than a few of them will become life-long pickleball players. They’ll have Don’s 78 year-old energy to thank for being healthier and more connected for the rest of their lives.
