Sherry’s love for the game of pickleball began in 2020 when the COVID crisis caused her to be stuck in her home State of North Carolina in the USA. Many of them would go to the local YMCA and exercise during this time. It was there that the director of the 55-plus group invited her to try a game. And, once she touched that paddle and started to learn the game, she was hooked. The game of pickleball not only changed her life, but it also saved her life.
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Considering the global circumstances during that period and her ongoing battle with PTSD from military experiences, it had pushed her into a very dark and depressed place. She suffered from anxiety attacks, unexplained fear, and a host of physical ailments.
Within the first 30 days of playing pickleball daily, Sherry began to meet amazing people, feel much better physically, and gain hope. She witnessed people from all age groups, nationalities, and different financial backgrounds come together and have so much fun. The game was easy to learn, and it challenged her physically and mentally.
A Global Mission
Sherry has been a global Missionary for 24 years and has traveled to various nations, loving on people and supplying whatever help they needed. She began to have dreams of herself, using the game of pickleball to reach more unreached people and unleash dreams within them.
In 2022, she traveled to Belize to play pickleball and introduced it to some kids in the local village. She traveled to Puerto Rico and played pickleball and the language barrier did not diminish the games at all, as Pickleball is a global language within itself. Sherry has played the game in several states in the USA and created a massive pickleball family.
In October 2022, after much prayer, she decided it was time to return to the Continent that she adores so much and to take the game she loves so much to Africa. She started in Kenya, where she was able to hang out at the Nairobi Pickleball Club and play with some passionate lovers of the game. She introduced the game at the orphanage where she serves in Nairobi and the staff and kids alike loved the game.
A South African Adventure
In January 2023, Sherry traveled to South Africa with the sole mission of introducing pickleball to the local Townships where the game was unheard of. The game was being played in the suburbs, but no one was going into the townships. Her heart was in the townships where she has served the beautiful people in many areas for the past 15 years.
She was given access to Phomolong Secondary School in Tembisa; the local community in the Moriting area of Tembisa; and has partnered with Grace Bible Church in Soweto, where she is teaching Pensioners and youth; Sherry is scheduled to start in the Township of Alexandra in October 2024 and Eldorado Park in November 2024.
Building a Community
They’ve made pickleball history in Tembisa, by forming the very first official pickleball teams. The team is called #TembisaGOLD. They have 13 players, aged 14-18 years old and they attend Phomolong Secondary School. Their govt school has no sports programs, so they use the netball court to play pickleball.
They started out in April 2024 using school desks as a net and eventually got hold of an old tennis net, using chairs and rocks to secure it and chalk to draw lines on the court. In June 2024, they were able to raise funds to buy a portable pickleball net and basic paddles for the players.
The players’ lives have truly changed since learning the game and traveling around Johannesburg to play with others. They’ve seen places they’ve never seen and met people; they’ve never would have met. It’s amazing to see how God is using this game to connect people, give hope, encourage hearts, and improve health.
A Bright Future
Her goal is to be able to secure scholarships for the truly gifted young people in the game of pickleball at colleges in the USA in beyond; as well as get many of them qualified for global tournaments and to represent their great nation. Sherry has made connections in the Nation of Malawi, where she will be traveling to promote the game in this beautiful country.
She is presently trying to secure resources to accommodate more potential players and to help her live safely in South Africa for the next couple of years. The youth and adults alike in the Townships need proper shoes to play in; paddles, balls, portable pickleball nets, clothing, and permanent courts in their local areas, as well as nutritious food to feed the players before and after practices.
Sponsorship and Support
Sherry’s mission relies on the generosity of sponsors. To continue providing pickleball equipment, basic hygiene items, and mentorship to hundreds of kids, she is actively seeking financial and material support. If you’d like to contribute to her inspiring work, you can reach Sherry directly at Sherryeseosa@gmail.com.
