Road to Pickleball - Keyton Pickleball Series
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Road to Pickleball

Road to Pickleball

Ready, set, Pickleball! Keyton has followed the Pickleball team of Waterford Valley Lakes retirement village as they prepare to compete in the inaugural Keyton Pickleball Championship. Pickleball newbies Ian, Bruce and the two Jans are under pressure as they prepare to compete against the experienced rival team from The Links at Waterford. Between their village manager Julie's competitiveness and maintenance officer turned coach Ron's rigorous training regime, the four players have to come together as a team if they want to make history and win the Pickleball trophy. Who will come out as the winner - and who will leave with nothing but a pickle jar? Find out in this exclusive, 7-part series, available now on YouTube!
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Episode 1 - Let's get pickling!


Welcome to Waterford Valley Lakes, a retirement community in the heart of Rowville, Victoria. This is where Bruce, Ian, Jan R. and Jan K. live – and where they formed the village’s first ever Pickleball team! The four seniors try out the world’s fastest growing sport, encouraged by Pickleball enthusiast and maintenance officer Ron. As the team hits (and misses) the Pickleball, village manager Julie watches from the sidelines – and comes up with a grand idea! Why not challenge neighbouring retirement village The Links at Waterford to a friendly match of Pickleball? With her competitive side taking over, Julie declares the first ever Keyton Pickleball Championship and announces Ron’s promotion to Head Coach. Only thing left to figure out: How to turn a team that has never played Pickleball in their lives into a team of champions? 


Episode 2 - Forming the team


The team has been practising for two weeks now. Julie takes the initiative and reaches out to Melissa to challenge her (friendly) rival from neighbouring retirement village The Links at Waterford to an intervillage Pickleball tournament. Meanwhile, Ron is hard at work putting the Lakers Pickleball team through their paces when Julie introduces a wild card player to the team – so wild in fact, he’s never even hit a Pickleball. The team starts to feel the mounting pressure as the tournament draws closer. Will they be able to pull together and rise to the challenge?


Episode 3 - We have work to do


The Lakers team have embraced their training regime, but Coach Ron decides it's time to ramp things up with a focused strategy session. Known for his brutally honest coaching style, Ron doesn't hold back in pushing the team to their limits. Meanwhile, Jan R. seeks out wellbeing coordinator Chelsea for a consultation to sharpen her Pickleball skills. As the tournament looms closer, Ron's nerves start to show; he's seen the formidable four from the Links at Waterford’s ‘Linked Up’ team in action and knows the competition will be tough. The Lakers realise have a lot of work to do. 

Episode 4 - The other team


It’s time to look at the competition and meet the team from The Links at Waterford and their own competitive village manager, Melissa, though she seems more preoccupied with ordering bright pink uniforms for her team than coaching. The players, Lyn, Liz, Jill, and Suzanne, bring a mix of experience to the table. Lyn and Liz are seasoned Pickleball players, while Jill and Suzanne come from a tennis background, making them confident and unfazed by the competition. Practising on proper Pickleball courts (instead of a do-it-yourself court like The Lakers), they are well-prepared and ready to take on any challenge. 


Episode 5 - You're nothing without your fans


The Lakers have a practice session with their supporters and family members cheering them on, creating a huge sense of excitement throughout the village. Tore is inspired to start a fan club to rally even more support for the team. Jan R.’s grandkids are there, watching and cheering enthusiastically. With the tournament only days away, Ian and Bruce go on their daily bike ride and use the opportunity to chat with Tore about their chances in the upcoming tournament. Julie takes a moment to reflect on the journey that has brought them to this point: there's no other option but to win.


Episode 6 - The big day - Part 1


The big day has finally arrived. Coach Ron and the team show up at the tournament location, feeling a mix of nerves and confidence. Fans from both sides gather to witness the inaugural Keyton Pickleball Tournament, filling the atmosphere with excitement. With an official referee from the Pickleball Association of Australia overseeing the matches, the tournament kicks off. The first match sees Jan K. and Bruce facing off against Jill and Liz, with Jan K. and Bruce clinching a victory. However, the next match doesn't go as well for the Lakers, as Ian and Jan R. suffer a loss. The pressure is on – can the Lakers turn things around?


Episode 7 - The big day - Part 2


The tension is palpable as Bruce and Jan K. secure their second game, winning their match and putting the Lakers ahead 1:0. The pressure mounts for Ian and Jan R. after their initial loss. They must dig deep and give it their all to force a decisive third match. The stakes couldn't be higher as both teams vie for the ultimate prize. Who will rise to the occasion and take home the trophy?


About Pickleball

Originally developed in the United States, Pickleball combines elements from tennis, badminton and table tennis, played on a court about one-third the size of a traditional tennis court. Players use a paddle to hit a wiffle ball over the net and the game is often played in doubles, fostering a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. The sport can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors, making it perfect for year-round play.
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Get to know the players

Bruce

Bruce has known Ian for more than 40 years. The two met after the first day of dropping their kids at the same kindergarten. Fast forward to the children being all grown up, Bruce and Ian have remained friends – with Ian following his mate to the Waterford Valley Lakes retirement community. They are both on the village's social committee, play tennis and go for regular bike rides in the morning. Now they compete together on the same team in the inaugural Keyton Pickleball tournament.

Ian

Ian moved to Waterford Valley Lakes after long-time friends Bruce and Rachel decided to call the retirement village home. Having been friends for many years, Ian knew he could trust his buddy's decision. He goes on regular morning bike rides with Bruce as well as their new neighbour Tore and enjoys a friendly game of tennis – and now Pickleball too!

Jan R

Jan R. can only be described as a family person. With five kids of her own and a (current) total of 25 grandkids, it is safe to say family comes first! That sentiment goes both ways, as her grandkids come to support their Granny during Pickleball training and love spending time with her at Waterford Valley Lakes.

Jan K

Jan K. might consider herself a newbie to Waterford Valley Lakes, having made the move less than a year ago, but she certainly is an experienced tennis player. In fact, seeing the village had its own tennis court and swimming pool played a big part in her and her husband's decision to move to the community – and ultimately become part of the Laker's Pickleball team!

Meet the team

Julie

Waterford Valley Lakes village manager Julie is extremely excited about the prospect of winning the inaugural Pickleball tournament – especially against her long-standing friend and sometimes rival Melissa, village manager of The Links at Waterford. In preparation for the big day, Julie's competitive side comes out and she wants nothing more than to win the Pickleball trophy.

Ron aka Coach Johnston

Ron is the maintenance officer at Waterford Valley Lakes and an enthusiastic Pickleball player in his free time. He suggested the sport as a great village activity to Julie, who immediately ran with the idea and set up an inter-village tournament against The Links at Waterford. Ron has no choice but to step up as coach for Ian, Bruce and the two Jan's to help them improve their play and tactics if they want to win against the rival team.

Melissa

Melissa is the village manager at The Links at Waterford – a retirement village just down the road from Waterford Valley Lakes. While her village is a bit smaller than Julie's community, she takes great pride in her place of work – and especially the four ladies in her Pickleball team, Linked Up. Melissa is silently confident and doesn't see The Lakers as a threat to her more experienced and immaculately equipped ladies.

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