Pickleball Dangers

When I was in junior high and high school, I played basketball all of the time and had a frequent issue with sprained ankles.  After stopping play, more than 40 years went by without ever having another problem.  

I suppose I was overdue when I rolled my ankle playing pickleball on Monday.  The courts here aren't exactly pristine.  There are cracks and a few uneven surfaces that are potential hazards.   As a civil defense attorney, I used to preach to juries about the need to be aware of one's surroundings in slip and fall cases.  I didn't follow my own advise.Yeah, it was my own dang fault.

As I moved laterally across the court to get into position to handle a lob that got behind my partner, there was an area of elevated blacktop where the basketball pole used to be.  Focused on the ball, I didn't notice. BAM!  My ankle rolled hard!  

I walked it off and finished my play that morning, but that was just the beginning of things.  When I took off my shoe and elevated my right foot, the ankle swelled up with an ugly bruise.

I was pretty much incapacitated for the rest of the day.  Julia picked up an ankle support from the pharmacist, along with some anti-inflammatory cream to rub on the injury.  

By yesterday morning, with the help of the ankle support, I was still able to walk Callie --at a much reduced pace.  Today, I'm close to normal but took the day off from pickleball.  With gravity, the black and blue went to the bottom of my foot.   I'll try again on Friday but will probably wear the ankle support for added protection.