The desire to connect with people has carried Hope Welch through a number of stations in her life.
So when Chatham County Senior Games pickleball ambassador Bill Alston started to extoll the virtues of pickleball to the Siler City native, Welch was intrigued by the welcoming nature of the sport. Although she didn’t enjoy the common relative of pickleball — that of tennis — it didn’t stop her from picking up a paddle and getting to work.
“You can catch on real good, once you get used to it,” Welch said. “The only problem I had was (keeping) score. Now, I’m showing others how to play it.”
A 1971 graduate of Jordan-Matthews, Welch used her time in high school to remain active, playing sports such as basketball and softball while experimenting with track. In Chatham County Senior Games, she has added cornhole, basketball shooting and the softball throw to her repertoire.
A N.C. Dept. of Transportation highway maintenance retiree, Welch remains active through pickleball and her flexible part-time schedule at Food Lion in Siler City.
“When I get to work at Food Lion, one or two people will see me and say, ‘You’ve been to pickleball already!’” she said.
But physical activity is something Welch has never had a problem with. After graduating from Jordan-Matthews, she served in the Army from 1973-1976. Her last year was spent handing out instructions in a not-so-subtle manner as a drill sergeant.
At the same time, she maintains that the depiction of drill sergeants on television isn’t entirely accurate.
“There are ways you can say things to be positive and not have an attitude,” Welch revealed. “It made me responsible. I didn’t have my mind made up as to what I was going to do.”
Welch, whose mother previously attended activities at the Chatham County Council on Aging, had her love of people instilled from family. She prefers introducing others to pickleball and Chatham County Senior Games at their own pace.
“I enjoy being amongst people and being a good Samaritan of seniors,” she said. “I’m not competitive. We have fun, and I just love being myself and helping other people.”