How a retired dentist uses his passion for pickleball to keep Collierville seniors active

Teaching and encouraging others is in Don Gary’s blood.

The 80-year-old has become known in Collierville for teaching the fast-growing and popular game of pickleball in the area.

Gary, who retired as a dentist in 2014, started playing pickleball in 2010. His love and passion for the game evolved into teaching pickleball lessons.

The Collierville resident of 45 years began teaching pickleball in 2018, offering his first class at the Collierville Community Center gym.

Since then, Gary has taught around 600 people — many aged 50 and over — how to play the game from beginner to competitive levels, with several students advancing to win pickleball tournaments.

Due to Gary's involvement, the community center averages 175-200 players a week, while the beginner lessons at the Linda Kerley Center teach 100 new players a year, according to a news release from the town.

In late February, Gary was presented a certificate from Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner for his contribution to the success of the senior pickleball program through the Collierville Parks and Recreation Department.

Helping seniors feel better about themselves

Gary said what inspires him to keep teaching pickleball is seeing seniors make a conscious effort to stay active and healthy.

"... To see them begin to accomplish things, it’s inspiring to me. It’s also great to help enhance the health of the people," he said. "Most of my students’ average age is (60 years old). I have an 81-year-old (female) out here just now learning the game, but she wants to get healthier.”

Gary is encouraged by how several of his students have used pickleball to become better physically fit.

“There are some that come here and are overweight and not in good physical condition,” he said. “But they get better, and I’ve seen some of them trim down. Also, once they get inspired to really learn the game, then they become motivated to do this more and begin to lose weight doing it. The next thing they know, they’ve lost 10 pounds and they’re feeling better about themselves.”

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Inspiring students with his love for pickleball

Gary currently teaches 12 classes per week at both the Collierville Community Center and Linda Kerley Center in Collierville.

Janine Gorline attended one of Gary's pickleball classes held on a recent afternoon at Peace Tree United Methodist Church's gym. Among the things Gary taught Gorline and the other students was how to attack or hit the ball at the net when it came fast out of the pickleball machine.

Gorline, a former tennis player, has been playing pickleball for a couple years. She said she and her husband, Bill, signed up a few years ago to take beginners' lessons with Gary and came to enjoy his expertise, patience and enthusiasm as an instructor for the game.

“Don is super patient and very encouraging,” Gorline said. “He provides positive reinforcement, and you learn something about the game every time he teaches the class. Don has a nice way of correcting his students and is never negative. He’s very even keel, and he loves the game. He communicates that to everybody, and it makes everybody want to love it as well.”

Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Pickleball instructor in Collierville, TN, aims to keep seniors active