<\/p>\n
(Left to Right) Patrick Hernandez, Felix Celis, Rosalina Cisneros, Alfredo Perez, Georgina Guzman and Alvino Bravo play pickleball at Lincoln Park Senior Center every Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Photo by Laura Anaya-Morga \/ Boyle Heights Beat<\/p>\n
This\u00a0article<\/a>\u00a0was originally published on April 20 by\u00a0the LA Local<\/a>, a nonprofit newsroom of the Los Angeles Local News Initiative.<\/p>\n Lincoln Heights\u2014On any given day at the Lincoln Park Senior Center, when the indoor facility isn\u2019t being used to host a dance class, yoga or tai chi, a group of older adults get their heart rates up with a friendly game of pickleball.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The low-intensity paddle sport has gained massive popularity over the years and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. For the older adults at Lincoln Park Senior Center, it\u2019s an active pastime where they get to have fun, compete with one another and feel free.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c(I feel) freedom. We laugh a lot \u2026 we are happy, that\u2019s the point,\u201d said Felix Celis, 65, who started the pickleball club at the senior center a few years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, a group of five to eight people practice at the center almost daily. On Friday afternoons, the group competes in friendly two-on-two or one-on-one matches for up to five hours.<\/p>\n Celis learned how to play the game through watching Youtube videos and has picked up techniques through his own practice. Now, he teaches his fellow players tips and tricks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Georgina Guzman, 62, practices pickleball drills with Felix Celis, 65, at Lincoln Park Senior Center on Friday, May 8, 2026.<\/p>\n Photo by Laura Anaya-Morga \/ Boyle Heights Beat<\/p>\n On a recent Friday, Celis ran practice drills with Georgina Guzman, 62, who\u2019s been going to the senior center for about a year.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe game is very addicting,\u201d Guzman said. She looks forward to the end of the week when she gets to play with her friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A few years ago, Guzman was diagnosed with osteoporosis, which reduces bone density and makes them weaker. Through physical activity like pickleball, she\u2019s been able to rebuild her strength.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI feel good, my depression is gone, my cholesterol has gone down and I feel better, I feel happy, I\u2019m excited to come,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Guzman boasted that their club has been able to keep up with younger players, too. On occasion, the group plays against a few students from UCLA.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe are elderly people and they are just kids, but we put up a fight,\u201d Guzman said.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Though they\u2019ve found a groove with their weekly games, the older adults who attend the Lincoln Park Senior Center said they would like to have a dedicated instructor to teach them proper rules and how to reduce their risk of injury on the court.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes, because we want to win, we get so caught up in the game that we forget that our body is not fit for a certain movement,\u201d said Alvino Bravo, 71.<\/p>\n Bravo started playing the sport one year ago after he retired and said it has made him feel strong and capable.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe people that attend here, they are looking for company, they\u2019re looking for friendship,\u201d Celis said. They have found that on and off the court.\u00a0<\/p>\n More by\u00a0Laura Anaya-Morga<\/a><\/p>\n
\n Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
\n <\/p>\n
\n Error! There was an error processing your request.
\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
\n <\/p>\n
\n Error! There was an error processing your request.
\n <\/p>\n