Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

The first time I held a pickleball paddle, I honestly didn’t know what to expect.

A friend had been trying to convince me to play for weeks, saying I’d enjoy it. I smiled politely but wasn’t entirely convinced. I thought it would simply be another way to stay active. I never imagined that a small paddle and a plastic ball would teach me lessons I didn't know I needed.

Like many beginners, I made every mistake imaginable. I instinctively stepped into the “kitchen” before a volley, sent the ball sailing beyond the baseline, and swung a second too late more times than I care to admit. Someone would gently call out, “Kitchen!” We'd laugh, I'd nod, and we'd move on to the next point. No one made me feel embarrassed. They simply welcomed me back into the game.

That, more than anything, kept me coming back.

I am still learning. Some days my serve lands exactly where I want it to. Other days it seems determined to go everywhere except where I intended. I still laugh whenever an ambitious dink ends up in the net. Funny enough, those imperfect moments are often the ones I remember most.

One of the things I enjoy most is arriving a little early before our games begin. It gives me time to watch the courts come alive. Friends who have already finished their matches stay to cheer for the next players. Strangers smile at one another because of familiarity, while children and young adults patiently wait for a court to open.

Nobody asks what you do for a living or what title you hold. They simply ask you to join if they need another pair of hands. There is something wonderfully disarming about that.

Watching the younger players has become one of my favorite parts of the morning. I am amazed by how fast they learn. They quickly realize that hitting the ball harder does not always win the point. They learn to communicate with a partner, stay patient during long rallies, and shake hands after every game, whether they win or lose. Those lessons are not written on the scoreboard, yet they may be the ones that matter most.

Perhaps that is why my heart feels a little heavier whenever I hear stories of children and teens hurting others.

Like many Filipinos, I have followed these heartbreaking incidents over the past months with sadness. I believe that there are no quick fixes, and certainly no single activity can solve a challenge this complex.

Still, I believe sports have an important place in the conversation.

Whether it is pickleball, basketball, volleyball, football, martial arts, or athletics, sports give children something many of them need: a place where they feel they belong. On the court or on the field, they discover that winning is exciting, but losing is not the end of the story. They learn to get back up after a mistake, trust a teammate, celebrate someone else's success, and keep trying even when things don't go their way.

Those lessons may not come with trophies or medals, but they stay with them long after the game is over. Little by little, sports teach young people confidence, resilience, respect, and the simple joy of being part of something bigger than themselves.

I often find myself wondering how different our communities might be if more children had somewhere safe to go after school—a place where adults knew their names, where friends encouraged one another instead of tearing each other down, and where laughter echoed more often than anger. Not every child will discover pickleball, and that is perfectly fine. What matters is that every child has the chance to belong somewhere positive and worthwhile.

Looking back, I still smile whenever I think about that first day I picked up a pickleball paddle. This new hobby has changed the way I think about community, belonging, and the ways people can help one another grow.

Beyond budget, the more time I spend on the pickleball court, the more I realize that sports are never just another item in a budget. Instead, their impact goes far beyond, though they are not written in any balance sheet. Their worth manifests in children growing up into responsible and confident adults, in families creating more bonding moments, and in communities peacefully uniting for a shared purpose.

Hence, I hope that more Filipino families see the value of sports, just as I have, and encourage one another to participate. Because when more people do so, our nation will be raising a generation that chooses compassion over violence, respect over anger, kindness over cruelty, and hope and resilience over despair.