Tallahassee Pickleball Association

TPA News

Member Spotlight: Betsy Lieberman
by TPA board member JoAnn Cox

Betsy Lieberman is a founding member of the Tallahassee Pickleball Association and has served on the TPA Board as Treasurer since its inception in the Spring of 2021. Betsy retired from the board in May, turning over responsibilities to the new TPA Treasurer, Bob Capporelli. We owe a big vote of thanks to Betsy for her service to TPA.

Betsy hails from northern Michigan, where she worked for two non-profit companies, protecting the environment, until she retired and moved to Tallahassee to be closer to her two sons. Her thoughts were, “If I move to Florida, I will never have to shovel sunshine!”

Once in Tallahassee (October 2015), it took only a few months for Betsy to show up at the Senior Center to find out all about the game of pickleball and meet some Tallahassee folks. She’s been hooked ever since. Betsy wasn’t exposed to girls’ sports in high school. In her 30s, she started playing some basketball and softball, but playing pickleball has ranked far above the other sports in her playbook.

In response to the question, “What attracts you to pickleball?” Betsy lit up and listed more reasons she likes pickleball than we have space in this newsletter! She does not enjoy working out by going to gyms, etc., so pickleball fills her need for physical activity in a much more enjoyable way. She loves meeting new people and has easily met and become friends with over 150 people by mingling with other pickle heads. She also admits, “I am quite competitive.” She explained she likes winning, but she also “competes with herself; always trying to improve.” Pickleball has filled all of these needs.

Betsy prefers to play outdoors but is not a fan of dealing with the wind and other weather conditions. Most of her recent play has been at The Pickle Pad. She loves being on the court, and she can say she tries to balance fun with competitiveness. She thinks it is both that motivates her.

Outside of her pickleball world, Betsy sees family as number 1. She has three children and four granddaughters, ranging in age from 4 to 14. Betsy loves to travel, attend pickleball tournaments, and watch “murder and mayhem” on TV. She also enjoys playing pickleball with her sons. She recalls diving for one son’s corner shot; she fell, but still managed to make the point!

Betsy advises any pickleball beginner to take lessons and/or go to the Tallahassee Senior Center to learn the basics. She suggests that players get a DUPR rating, become involved in TPA round robins, and be brave and sign up for a tournament. Betsy knows drilling is important to help improve your game, but it is just not for her. Instead, she plays and plays and plays…mostly five days a week. She also watches pickleball on YouTube where one of her favorite players is Anna Leigh Waters. ( I took her advice and wooza! that young lady is a dynamo on the court… and she plays doubles with her MOM!)

Betsy encourages all TPA members to seek out other players and get them to join TPA. “The more TPA members we have, the louder our voice is to get city and county officials on board with building more pickleball courts,” she said. “I play in Macon, Thomasville, Opelika, Valdosta, and other towns smaller than Tallahassee, and Tallahassee officials need to see how much revenue can be brought in by hosting larger tournaments. We can’t have large tournaments in Tallahassee due to the lack of sufficient facilities. We even have to split up the Senior Games into two different locations.”

Again, thank you, Betsy, for your time served on the TPA Board. If you ever want to meet Betsy, just head on out to The Pickle Pad or other local courts, and you will likely find Betsy with a smile on her face and a paddle in her hand!