MY NIECE WOULD LOVE THAT. YES, WELL, RIGHT NOW IT IS MORE THAN A PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT AND IT’S A CELEBRATION. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PICKLE CON KMBC NINE S ALAN SHOPE SAYS IT’S ALL HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND AT THE KANSAS CITY CONVENTION CENTER. PICKLEBALL IS A SOCIAL SPORT, GABRIEL GEORGE IS A RETIRED NAVY DISABLED AMERICAN VETERAN, BUT HE’S ALSO AN AMAZING PICKLEBALL PLAYER. AND HE SAYS THE SPORT IS HELPING DISABLED VETERANS RECOVER. IT’S BIGGER THAN JUST A SPORT. THIS IS THERAPY FOR ME AND IT’S MORE THERAPY FOR ME. WHEN I GET TO GIVE IT BACK AND SHARE IT WITH OTHERS. GABE IS ON THE PICKLEBALL TEAM, MILITARY ADAPTIVE SPORTS, ONE OF SEVERAL TEAMS PLAYING IN PICKLE CON THIS WEEKEND AT THE KANSAS CITY CONVENTION CENTER. IT’S NOT AN EASY SPORT TO GET INTO PICKLEBALL TEAMS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY PLAYING IN THE EVENT THAT COVERS MORE THAN 60 COURTS, ALL COMPETING AT ONE TIME. THERE’S A REALLY GOOD PICKLEBALL PLAYERS HERE GOING ON. AND LIKE NATIONAL PICKLEBALL, THEY’RE ALL PROS, SENIOR PROS. SO THERE’LL BE SOME REALLY GOOD ONES. IT’S MORE THAN 1500 PICKLEBALL PLAYERS HERE AT PICKLE CON THIS WEEKEND. THERE’S EVEN A FORMER NFL PLAYER HERE. EIGHT YEAR OLDS COULD PLAY WITH 80 YEAR OLDS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. FORMER CHARGERS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN MARCELLUS WILEY IS NOW A PICKLEBALL PLAYER. HE SAYS IT HELPS HIM KEEP IN SHAPE. HE’S THINKING ABOUT CHALLENGING SOME CHIEFS ON THE COURT. NOBODY ON THE CHIEFS WANT TO SEE ME RETIRED OR ACTIVE. PATRICK MAHOMES TRAVIS KELCE WILLIE ROAF I’LL DESTROY WILLIE ROAF RIGHT NOW. COME ON, HE ADDS, IT’S A SPORT THAT EVENS THE PLAYING FIELD. I DON’T CARE HOW GIFTED YOU ARE AND TALENTED IN OTHER SPORTS, THIS IS A DIFFERENT ANIMAL. THIS WEEKEND’S EVENT IS OPEN TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SIGN UP, GRAB A PADDLE AND PLAY IN DOWNTOWN ALAN SHOPE KMBC NINE NEWS. COMPETITION IS TOUGH. PICKLE CON CONTINUES ALL WEEKEND
Pickleball helps veterans and athletes connect at special event
![KMBC logo]()
Updated: 5:59 PM CDT Aug 11, 2024
Pickleball Con was held at the Kansas City Convention Center this weekend. It united veterans, athletes, and enthusiasts in a celebration of the sport."Pickleball is a social sport," said Gabriel George, a retired Navy veteran and avid pickleball player. "It's about the social. It's bigger than just a sport. This is therapy for me, and it's more therapy for me when I get to give back and share it with others."George is part of the military adaptive sports pickleball team, one of several teams competing at the event."It's such an easy sport to get into for veterans or disabled personnel to enjoy themselves," said Steven Harper from Military Adaptive Sports. The event features pickleball teams from across the country, playing on more than 60 courts simultaneously."There's some really good pickleball players here. The national pickleball league has pros and senior pros, so there'll be some really good ones, and yeah, you can see some pretty good pickleball here," said Alyssa Morrison, pickleball director.More than 1,500 pickleball players are participating in Pickleball Con, including former NFL player Marcellus Wiley."Eight-year-olds can play with 80-year-olds and everything in between," Wiley said.Wiley, a former Chargers defensive lineman, now plays pickleball to stay in shape and is considering challenging some Kansas City Chiefs players on the court."Nobody on the Chiefs wants to see me retired or active. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Willie Roaf — I'll destroy Willie Roaf right now, come on," Wiley said.He emphasized the inclusive nature of the sport.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pickleball Con was held at the Kansas City Convention Center this weekend. It united veterans, athletes, and enthusiasts in a celebration of the sport.
"Pickleball is a social sport," said Gabriel George, a retired Navy veteran and avid pickleball player. "It's about the social. It's bigger than just a sport. This is therapy for me, and it's more therapy for me when I get to give back and share it with others."
George is part of the military adaptive sports pickleball team, one of several teams competing at the event.
"It's such an easy sport to get into for veterans or disabled personnel to enjoy themselves," said Steven Harper from Military Adaptive Sports.
The event features pickleball teams from across the country, playing on more than 60 courts simultaneously.
"There's some really good pickleball players here. The national pickleball league has pros and senior pros, so there'll be some really good ones, and yeah, you can see some pretty good pickleball here," said Alyssa Morrison, pickleball director.
More than 1,500 pickleball players are participating in Pickleball Con, including former NFL player Marcellus Wiley.
"Eight-year-olds can play with 80-year-olds and everything in between," Wiley said.
Wiley, a former Chargers defensive lineman, now plays pickleball to stay in shape and is considering challenging some Kansas City Chiefs players on the court.
"Nobody on the Chiefs wants to see me retired or active. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Willie Roaf — I'll destroy Willie Roaf right now, come on," Wiley said.
He emphasized the inclusive nature of the sport.
