Pickleball delivers a low-impact way to get exercise, have fun and socialize

By Matt Pascarella

Whether you’ve heard of pickleball, played it or just been curious what it’s all about, it’s grown in popularity in recent years. Pickleball is a paddle sport with parts of tennis, badminton and table tennis. It’s easy to learn and a great way to get exercise and meet new people.

Windham resident Laura Page gets to the ball in time during
a Windham Parks and Recreation pickleball lesson at the
Pat Moody Courts in Windham on Saturday, Aug. 9.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Windham’s Parks and Recreation Department is currently offering a four-week summer session and the group met at the Pat Moody Courts in Windham on Saturday, Aug. 9.

“I’ve been playing for four months now,” said Gorham resident Lisa King. “It was really just to meet people, to get out of the house and do something a little different, that engages with the community and maybe meet people that I have something in common with.”

Norma Ewing, a Windham resident, said pickleball is something she really looks forward to. She said it’s a good workout. She chose to play because it was about doing something for her; Ewing was busy with work and loves sports; pickleball gives her a break to do something fun.

The objective of pickleball is to serve the ball, similar to a wiffle ball with a paddle similar to a table tennis paddle, return the serve, make sure the ball bounces twice and be ready, because depending on skill levels that ball can come at you really fast.

Windham pickleball coach and Gorham resident Dave Cousins started playing pickleball in the early 1990s. Prior to that he had coached tennis. He said he always had pickleball as a base in the back of his mind. Cousins first began coaching pickleball in South Portland, but with low attendance.

Something happened around 2018 when his classes jumped from three or four people to 10 people. His attendance numbers continued to increase month after month; he was able to add another pickleball session and then another.

“I decided to play pickleball because I go to a resort in Florida and my friends played pickleball the last two times I went” said Windham resident Laura Page. “I want(ed) to learn to play. It’s a low-impact sport and it’s good for me. Everybody you play with is pretty understanding and nice.”

During the pickleball lesson, Cousins is a very patient teacher and allowed his players to learn at their own pace, while having fun at the same time.

“It doesn't take a lot of classes to get pretty good at pickleball pretty fast,” said Cousins. “One of the reasons I got into pickleball was I found folks could pick the game up that much faster. My goal as a coach is to be coaching everywhere in Southern Maine and New Hampshire. I want to expand the territory out a little bit, but the bigger over-arching goal is to get as many people into a racquet sport as possible. All it takes is that first hour. In that first hour you start to discover ... there’s strategy to this game. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s social. What’s the selling point – socialization and low-barrier to entry. Easy to pick up, and then it makes you want to play more.”

Windham resident Darlene Haskell said pickleball is great. She wasn’t going to play because she thought it’d be too intense, but it doesn’t have to be intense. Anybody can play, have fun and not get hurt.

Cousins said his group has improved a lot over the weeks of the session. The class gets a chance to play but then has someone who is looking out for them to tell them what they’re doing great and what they can improve upon.

There is a place for everybody to play, and Cousins said he wants to be the one who introduces pickleball, or another racquet sport, to as many people as possible.

Windham’s Parks and Recreation Department will also offer fall and winter pickleball sessions; for more details, call 207-892-1905. <

Windham grad establishes Strong Girls United Golf Tournament fundraiser

By Matt Pascarella

Windham graduate Tara Flanders benefited greatly from athletics growing up and because of this she began working with the nonprofit “Strong Girls United” whose mission is “to empower girls through sports, mentorship and mental health programming.” Flanders, who began volunteering for the program in summer 2024, is helping to organize the first ever SGU Golf Tournament fundraiser at Point Sebago in Casco on Saturday, Aug. 23.

Windham High graduate Tara Flanders
high-fives Strong Girls United participants
after she completed an obstacle course 
the girls set up for her in York on May 20.
Flanders has organized the first SGU Golf
Tournament fundraiser which takes place in
Casco on Saturday, Aug. 23.
SUBMITTED PHOTO   

“I got involved with Strong Girls United, whose average range of girls in the program are typically kindergarten through eighth grade, through my passion for youth sports and women empowerment,” said Flanders. “I was drawn to SGU’s mission of combining athletics, mentorship, and mental skills development for girls. I ... soon took on a larger role within the organization full time. I focus on building awareness, partnerships, and funding opportunities that support the growth of our programs. I work to ensure SGU can continue offering high-quality, accessible programming to more girls – especially in our local communities like Windham.”

One of the ways Flanders has helped to spread the mission of SGU is through an after-school program she recently launched for second and third graders at Windham Primary School. The six-week program aims to engage girls in a mix of movement activities, like yoga, relay races and games paired with group discussions focused on confidence-building, friendship, and positive self-talk. Each session ends with a reflection prompt, helping the girls build strong mental habits along with physical ones.

SGU centers around three fundamental pillars, physical activity and sports, mental health and well-being activities, and mentorship of strong female role models. They partner with communities, volunteers, universities, and athletes from around the country to run teams, events, conferences and other programming all rooted in their motto: “Strong bodies. Kind hearts. Unstoppable minds.”

“I’ve seen how tournaments bring together people of all ages and backgrounds, whether they’re athletes, families, coaches, or local business leaders,” said Flanders. “These events build community, spark conversations, and create shared memories. They also offer a chance to rally around a cause. With the SGU Golf Tournament, it’s more than just a day on the course, it’s an opportunity to support girls’ confidence, connection, and growth through sport.”

Flanders wanted to start the tournament to create a fun, inclusive and impactful way to raise money and awareness for SGU. She had also worked at Point Sebago since she was 16 and knows this tournament will be a great way to spread SGU’s mission while having fun. Point Sebago is a beautiful course with strong ties to the community and golf offers a relaxed social setting; the two felt like the perfect fit to bring community together in support of empowering girls in Maine.

Community members who participate will enjoy a day of golf while supporting local programming that builds confidence, leadership and mental resilience in young girls. Every registration helps SGU expand their reach, especially in areas like Windham.

The best way to register is online through their website: https://www.sgunitedfoundation.org/golf

SGU is also looking for sponsors, raffle donations, and volunteers. If any local businesses or individuals are interested, please visit the website.

You can also contact Flanders with questions at: Tara@sgunitedfoundation.org. <

Varsity basketball players give back to community by training younger players

By Matt Pascarella

When Windham High varsity senior Erik Bowen and varsity sophomore AJ Moody were up-and-coming basketball players, they had older players they trained with and looked up to. To inspire and help a new generation of younger Windham players, Bowen and Moody recently started conducting training sessions in a newly built gym at Moody’s home.

Windham participants work on their basketball
skills with WHS varsity players Erik Bowen
and AJ Moody during basketball training
sessions on July 25 in Windham.
PHOTO BY ERIK BOWEN

“When they come here, it’s not like [we] want them to be like us, said Moody. “You want them to be better than you. So ... they can achieve more and love the game more.”

Kids come in and talk to them about what they want to work on. Sometimes Bowen and Moody have a plan and sometimes they’ll implement shooting and dribbling drills into a training session.

Bowen and Moody offer one-on-one sessions or trainings in small groups. They’ll referee games so participants can utilize the skills being taught to them. They also offer open gym sessions and will soon be announcing a middle school 3-on-3 league.

The main focus is basketball, but they also want to bring fun and a love of the game into their training sessions. If you want to succeed at the game, you really need to develop a passion for it, and Bowen and Moody are working to accomplish that with their participants.

“We’re trying to get them better but also have them have a fun time and teach them skills like relationship building,” said Bowen.

Sixth grader Julia Call and third grader Callen Call said they have enjoyed these basketball trainings.

Julia Call said the training shows her how to shoot better and make her dribbling moves work better.

Callen Call says Bowen and Moody make skills, drills, and scrimmages more fun.

Some of the drills Bowen and Moody teach to participants are the same drills they work on during their varsity practices. If the younger participants who learn those drills know and develop that muscle memory, it can only help them as they progress in the sport.

Bowen said using what they’ve learned in practice also helps them too. If they’re teaching what they are practicing, that’s going to increase Bowen and Moody’s muscle memory and they’ll do better on the court.

“[I like] talking to the youth and wanting them to be in my position one day,” said Moody. “And to let them know, it’s going to be one nice ride.”

There is a varying cost to the training depending on what you’re looking for. Bowen and Moody are planning to donate some of their funds to the Dempsey Center as well as put some of their money back into their trainings.

“Younger kids aren’t going to come up and tell you they look up to you, but I know they look up to us,” said Bowen. “Trying to create a more personable connection with the younger people that are the future of our community and our basketball program; it’s been nice.”

Moody said if he had had an opportunity like this when he was younger, he would have taken advantage of it. He wants to take his energy and love of the game and give that to the little kids he is teaching so that they can become better basketball players.

“It’s impressive to have these older kids give back,” said Julia and Callen’s father, Chris Call.

Both Bowen and Moody say they are trying to leave the Windham basketball program better than they found it.

They’ve gotten more of a response to their training sessions than expected, and there is still time to sign up by calling 207-239-9576 or 207-838-1604. <

Windham High School volleyball fundraiser brings community together

By Matt Pascarella

It was a day of fun and community. Students, alumni and members from Windham and surrounding communities came out for a day of volleyball and for the first time in four years, the Windham High School volleyball program held a fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Windham High School, with all money raised going to WHS volleyball program.

The adult/college-age team Big Dig Energy of Windham
alumni Megan Fleck, left, and Cassie Fleck, Chad Mason of
Gorham, Camden and Chloe Marble of South Portland and
Lucas Pongratz of Raymond, display their prizes after
coming in first during Windham High School's volleyball
fundraiser at Windham High School on Oct. 15.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

The day began with seven teams and ended with one champion. In the morning the teams played two sets to 25; then were reseeded and, in the afternoon, played a single elimination tournament with sets to 15. It was Big Dig Energy who took home the gold, or in this case a $10 gift card to Dunkin. Big Dig Energy beat One-Hit Wonders 2-0 in the finals.

While the day featured a lot of competition, it was in a low pressure setting that was focused more on fun, playing the game of volleyball and spending time with friends and neighbors.

“The turnout was really great,” said Windham resident and Windham High School alumna Cassie Fleck, who enjoyed competing in the tournament. “Seeing the community come together; I know the parent’s teams had a lot of fun; it was really good to see the parents being a volleyball family.”

Gorham resident and Big Dig Energy team member Chad Mason said he’d never really played volleyball before, and the day was a great way to gain exposure; it was good.

“Volleyball is a very important sport to me. Today, I wanted to play, but I wanted to be with my friends,” said Windham sophomore Ethan Nguyen, who played on the team Volleyball Killers. “It was mostly a community ball thing; this is definitely something I would do again.”

Windham freshman Sydney Harmon, whose team were the Freshies, made up entirely of freshman said the day was a good way to help the community and raise money for the volleyball program at Windham High School.

Windham varsity volleyball coach Chuck Fleck said the goal was to have fun and play volleyball.

“Now that things are getting back to pre-COVID situations, I hope we will have more enthusiasm for the sport,” said Chuck Fleck.

Coach Fleck who has been running the Windham Middle School volleyball program for 12 years and has been coaching volleyball at Windham High School for three seasons said they need more volunteers for each program. He’d love to see a more formalized league at Windham Middle School. Coaches are needed at Windham High School as well.

“I hope that their experience with volleyball transfers over to real life situations and they can be better members of society because of it,” said Chuck Fleck. “Volleyball is very much a mental game, and it forces those that play to be able to concentrate for longer periods of time and develop skills that should help with adulting. Like other sports, volleyball gives a player a sense of being a part of a community. This year’s team is a tight knit one and I truly feel that they have each other’s back both on and off the court.”

If you are interested in getting involved, contact Chuck Fleck at WYVBA.Maine@yahoo.com or CoachChuck.WHS@gmail.com.<