Communication and Teamwork in Pickleball: Playing pickleball with a significant other can be challenging. What starts as a fun activity can quickly turn into frustration and conflict, especially if communication breaks down. However according to Dr. Stormy Hill and Terri Citterman, co-authors of In a Pickle: How to Master Love and Pickleball and Not Kill Each Other, understanding each other’s love languages can help improve both the game and the relationship.
Importance of Love Languages
Hill and Citterman explore how couples can use the concept of love languages to strengthen their pickleball partnerships. The Five Love Languages—physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, and quality time—help couples understand how to best support each other. Though the concept is often used for romantic relationships, it can also be applied to any partnership, including doubles teams on the pickleball court.
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Applying Love Languages to Pickleball
Citterman and Hill discovered that knowing their love languages changed how they interacted on the court. Citterman, for example, found that her love language is words of affirmation, while her husband’s is quality time.
“Now, he knows I need to be told that I’m doing a good job while we’re playing,”. “It really helped him develop an awareness about how he impacts me and other people on the court.”( Terri Citterman)
Hill had a similar experience with her partner, whose love language is also a physical touch. She explained,
“If I make a bad shot and hit the ball sailing into the net and he doesn’t paddle tap me, I take that personally.”(Dr. Stormy Hill )
Now, Hill and her partner ensure they paddle tap, high five, or chest bump after every shot, as these gestures show their support for each other.
Creating a Supportive Atmosphere
For both couples, understanding each other’s love languages made their pickleball games more enjoyable. Knowing how to show appreciation on the court helped them avoid misunderstandings and created a positive atmosphere.
“That’s how I feel encouraged on the court,”. “It’s how I receive and offer love.””(Dr. Stormy Hill )
Impact on Relationships
Using love languages in pickleball can strengthen not only a team’s performance but also their relationship.
“The more you know, the better you can be as a teammate and as a partner in real life.”(Terri Citterman)
For couples, this simple awareness can help build emotional intelligence and create a more supportive, fulfilling partnership.
News in Brief: Communication and Teamwork in Pickleball
Dr. Stormy Hill and Terri Citterman, authors of In a Pickle, suggest that understanding love languages can improve both pickleball performance and relationships. By recognizing each other’s love languages, couples can enhance communication, create a supportive atmosphere, and strengthen their bond, leading to better teamwork on and off the court.
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