I reader recently asked if there was a considerate way to leave one pickleball partner for another. That is a great question! And I think it is a very good topic for this week’s post.
Pickleball Partner…Today…Tomorrow
I believe a lot of people have had to deal with the issue of changing pickleball partners. Some players have remained partners for years. I am also aware of a few situations where, unfortunately, there has been a nasty “break-up”. At the pro level, we see teams that play together often. But even these teams will play with someone else from time to time.
It can be complicated, in part because of the lead time required to sign up for certain pickleball tournaments. We all know that many tournaments fill up quickly. In some cases, we are signing up months or even a year in advance. In addition, as we get older injuries can become more frequent. One can’t always be 100% certain they will be healthy 6 months or 12 months out.
Pickleball Partnerships…Open Communication
I think open, and frank communication is key to any pickleball partnership. I have always discussed what I wanted from a 
partnership before committing to someone for several events or a full year. We discussed what tournaments we wanted to be involved in and how we would ensure communication remained open in the future in case either of us wanted to make a change. Certainly having these conversations is not easy. No one wants to suggest that they want to try playing with someone new.
But to me, saying yes and then changing your plans is even worse. I am a very loyal person. I intend to keep to my commitments. So I can’t imagine committing to play with someone in a particular event and then just canceling or changing my plans.
Pickleball Partners…No Commitments
There are many times when players are feeling out different partners. They want to figure out who they play well with. Not everyone wants to have a steady partner. And if that is you, that’s fine. In these cases, I think honesty is the best policy. Let the player asking you to partner, or who you are asking, that you want to keep your options open. I’m not suggesting this is easy…we all worry about hurting others’ feelings. But we need to be respectful of everyone we play with. For me, that means open communication no matter what.
Pickleball Partners…Breaking Up is Hard to Do
Others gain comfort and confidence by playing and practicing with the same person regularly. You need to figure out for yourself which you prefer. For me, I always want to make sure that the person next to me is someone I enjoy spending time with. I need to trust him. We should work well together. These are things I find important in a partnership, but you may have a different list. Ask yourself what you want and need from a partner. Also, ask yourself what you are willing to give to the person next to you on the court. Consider how you both can benefit from the other. And talk it out.
If you find yourself in a pickleball “relationship” that isn’t working for you, again you need to talk it out. Is it something one of you is doing that is making the other uncomfortable on the court? Is it something you can fix? Is it time to move on?
Remember, we choose to play pickleball in our spare time because we love it. There is no reason for it to be stressful or trying. Ignoring the elephant in the room will only make it worse.. talk it out. Through good times and times of change, you need to be open to communicating with your pickleball partner.
