AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Anderson High School student is sharing his years-long love of pickleball with a wider audience, launching a service project teaching older residents the love of the sport.
Kesh Gupta is a rising senior at Anderson High School. This spring, he launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball.
For Gupta, he wanted to tap into his near-decade's worth of experience playing and teaching the sport for this endeavor.
"I've notice that for the senior community, the two leading causes of depression among that group are social isolation and a loss of physical health," he said. "And I was thinking about this, and I was like, 'what better way to solve those issues than pickleball?'"
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Anderson High School student Kesh Gupta launched The Pickled Age, a community initiative designed to offer older residents a social community and physical activity — courtesy pickleball. (Courtesy Kesh Gupta)
Gupta began reaching out to area senior groups to garner interest before organizing pickleball clinics at a couple of different locations. Ultimately, the project has landed on the Austin Tennis Center as its primary home base.
So far, Gupta said The Pickled Age has attracted between 10 and 15 participants, adding he and his instructors have been able to really connect with the older players on a personal level and learn their stories.
"It's been really great seeing all the interaction that's been happening. Pickleball is a great way to bring people together," he said, adding: "So it's been really great, especially for the instructors — me and my instructors, we've bonded together with the seniors, and it's been a great experience."
In the future, Gupta said he hopes to build out The Pickled Age's player base to reach a wider range of older adults. He credited the Austin Tennis Center's facility size as a place that can accommodate the program as it grows and evolves.
And slow and steady wins the race, Gupta said; he added anyone with a passion for a community project can start small and still make a profound difference.
"I really love the social interaction part of pickleball and the fact that you can play with people of all ages," he said. "I kind of want to make an impact in our community."
The Pickled Age will host its next clinic on Wednesday, June 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Austin Tennis Center, located at 7800 Johnny Morris Road. Those interested in RSVPing for the clinic — or learning more about The Pickled Age — can find more details online.
