MEMORIAL
Cincinnati Pickleball Loses a Renaissance Man
Saying Goodbye to an Enthusiast, an Energy Giver, and a Pioneer
Bill Ries was from a different time. A time when volunteerism was instilled in people from birth. That’s what led Bill to enlist in the Air Force during the Korean War.
Bill, like many young men born in the 1930’s, was taught that service to country and defending democracy were the bedrocks of America’s status as the greatest country in the world. The Air Force was only three years old as a separate service when the War began, but nothing deterred Bill from his calling.
A Life Dedicated to Youth
Bill returned from Korea inspired to teach others the lessons he had been taught by his parents, Daniel and Mary Ries. After majoring in Physical Education at the University of Dayton, starting his career in the Cincinnati Public School system, and starting a family with his beloved wife Mary Ellen, Bill turned to Xavier University to earn both his Master’s and Doctorate of Education.
Bill dedicated his life to helping kids become the best possible versions of themselves. While he and Mary Ellen raised three children, he spent 25 years as both a teacher and a principal in the Cincinnati Public School system. As if that wasn’t enough, he added another 15 years working as a principal for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
The Ultimate Energy Giver
An energy giver from the time he was a kid, much of Bill’s life revolved around physical activity. A high school basketball and baseball player, he was a consummate teammate. At different times of his life he played tennis, racquetball, squash, badminton, table tennis, volleyball, golf, and softball. A kid at heart, he loved the inherent thrill of both snow and water skiing.
Throughout his life, he gave his valuable energy to groups and causes he held dear. He was a devoted Catholic lector, communion distributor, and church festival worker. A born leader, he served as President of the Phi Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, the Cincinnati Elementary Principals Association, and the Hamilton County Retired Education Association.
A New Love, Late in Life
The innate curiosity and passion for Cincinnati sports that led him to become a stat tracker for both the Cincinnati Royals and the fledgling Cincinnati Bengals, an usher for the Cincinnati Reds, and a Special Olympics Coordinator, ultimately led him to discover pickleball.
Like many athletes in their 70’s, Bill was seeking a new way to stay fit while also scratching the competitive desire instilled in him at a young age. In 2013, he was introduced to the sport at the Dunham Recreation Center in Price Hill. With an intuition that pickleball would grow quickly, he shared his enthusiasm for it with his family.
They, like most people do when they first hear about the sport, said quizzically, “What the heck is pickleball?!” But Bill was undeterred by their lukewarm response. After connecting with Neil Friedenberg at pickleball pioneer PROLITE Sports, Bill became one of Cincinnati’s first paddle sales representatives.
His work with PROLITE put him on the radar of USA Pickleball, and he soon became Cincinnati’s first USA Pickleball Ambassador. Along with fellow Ambassador Rich Jones, Bill’s growing passion for the sport sowed the seeds for pickleball’s meteoric growth in and around Cincinnati.
In partnership with Gary Lessis, Bill painted the first court lines at the then-neglected Sawyer Point tennis facility on Cincinnati’s riverfront in October, 2019. These four courts laid the groundwork for what would ultimately become one of the largest and most popular outdoor pickleball facilities in the Midwest.
Bill was so enthralled with the sport that he started to write about it. His writing became the basis for two books on pickleball, which he happily shared at a wide variety of events throughout the City.
He became a tireless evangelist for the sport, selling paddles, teaching new players across the Tristate, producing the first summary of Open Play sites in and around Cincinnati, and winning an Ohio State Championship in the 90+ division in 2021. He added that trophy to two Softball National Championship trophies he won in 2004 and 2005.
After talking to Bill many times and seeing him at countless events, I finally got to see him play in late 2020. A spry 89 years old at the time, he moved around the court like someone 30 years his junior. With a well-developed game seven years in the making, his full head of white hair was the only thing that gave an indication of his “advanced” age.
The spectacular growth of pickleball in Cincinnati since 2020 is such that most new players likely don’t know who Bill was. But his influence on the sport will be felt for years to come. Bill left pickleball in Cincinnati in a much better place than he found it.
Surrounded by Family
Like almost everybody who achieves something great, Bill was spurred by the love of friends and family. His 64-year marriage to Mary Ellen produced three children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. His 35-year career in education produced countless students, faculty members, and administrators who were influenced by Bill’s diligence, work ethic, and creativity.
While Bill’s mark on pickleball in Cincinnati was impactful, the mark he left on those who loved him was indelible. His family, his city, and the sport will continue without Bill, but they’ll never be quite the same.
